Deputy had been accused of corruption and money laundering; he says the damage to his reputation is “irreparable”
The STF (Federal Supreme Court) unanimously decided to file a complaint against the deputy Aécio Neves (PSDB) for corruption and money laundering in Lava Jato investigations. The trial in the virtual plenary of the Supreme Court ended on Friday (26.Nov.2022).
The accusation was made by the PGR (Attorney General of the Republic) itself in May 2020, claiming that the deputy received BRL 65 million from contractors Odebrecht and Andrade Gutierrez in exchange for advantages in the license for works at the hydroelectric plants of Santo Antônio and Jirau , in Rondonia.
In August 2022, however, the Attorney General of the Republic, Augusto Aras, asked for the case to be closed, since the accusation was based on the plea bargain of businessman Marcelo Odebrecht. This is because the anti-crime package (Law 13,954/2019), approved by Congress in 2019, prevents complaints based exclusively on employee statements from being received.
The allegations of the accusation refer to the period in which Aécio was governor of Minas Gerais, from 2003 to 2010, and senator for the same state, from 2011 to 2019. In his vote (here’s the full – 158 KB), the rapporteur, Minister Edson Fachin, said that the complaint does not indicate “what would be the acts subject to negotiation in the interest of the consortium business companies” with the then governor.
Fachin also said that “it’s not believable” that the PGR has imputed crimes to the deputy “based, solely and solely, on statements made by Justice collaborators🇧🇷
In a note, the defense of Aécio Neves said that he was “victim, during 5 years, of attacks and accusations”and that the damage to its reputation is “irrecoverable”.
The former director of Furnas and Aécio’s advisor, Dimas Toledo, also had accusations filed through Fachin’s decision; businessman Alexandre Accioly, nominated as a financial operator; former Odebrecht executive Ênio Silva; and Marcelo Odebrecht.
Read the full text of Aécio’s defense note:
“Yesterday, the STF, unanimously confirming the position expressed by the PGR, filed a complaint against deputy Aécio Neves.
“The deputy was accused, five years ago, by a whistleblower, an employee involved in complaints against Odebrecht, of having acted in favor of the company’s consortium in relation to the hydroelectric plant on the Madeira River, in Rondônia and, as a result, of having received advantages undue
“During the investigations, the PF demonstrated, with evidence, that the whistleblower had lied.
“Note from the defense of Deputy Aécio Neves:
“Minister Edson Fachin, rapporteur of the matter, the unanimity of the Ministers of the STF and the PGR itself considered it baseless and rejected the complaint presented years ago against Deputy Aécio Neves.
“Minister Fachin, in his vote, stated that no irregularity was pointed out that would have been committed by the Deputy and considered the presentation of the complaint, rejected yesterday, to be “reckless”.
“Despite his innocence, once again proven, the deputy was the victim, for five years, of attacks and accusations, based on lying statements now debunked.
“Despite the important decision of the Justice that restores the truth, the damage caused to the reputation of public persons is irrecoverable when the testimonies of whistleblowers without any proof are given an air of truthfulness, who lie in the search for the absolution of their own crimes.
“Alberto Zacharias Toron
Attorney”.
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