RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The São Paulo Prosecutor’s Office (MP-SP) has lifted the bank confidentiality of Brazil’s Environment Minister, Ricardo Salles, and uncovered millions of reais of transfers in his accounts. The MP-SP is now seeking to push forward investigations into fraud and money laundering.
The Minister transferred R$2.75 million (US$515,000) from his law firm’s account to his personal account in 54 transfers between 2014 and 2017. During the period, Salles was the Staff Secretary of Governor Geraldo Alckmin and São Paulo’s Environment Secretary.
The inquiry was opened in August last year to investigate suspected unjust enrichment between 2012 and 2017. Salles allegedly had accumulated R$7.4 million over five years, when he held public office in the São Paulo government, after quitting his job as an attorney.
In 2012, when he was a PSDB (Brazilian Social Democracy Party) candidate for the city assembly, the current Minister declared assets of R$1.4 million to the Electoral courts, which included financial investments, a car, a motorcycle, and a ten percent share of an apartment.
In 2018, when he was a candidate for a congressional seat under the Novo party, he declared R$8.8 million in assets, with two apartments worth R$3 million each, a boat worth R$500,000 and R$2.3 million in investments, totaling a 335 percent increase in five years, even after correcting for inflation.
Salles refuted the charges on his Twitter account:
“False story. All my allegedly “passed on” income are fees declared and arising from my private activity as an attorney, outside the Government, which I am very proud of. I have nothing to hide from anyone.”
— Ricardo Salles MMA (@rsallesmma) May 29th, 2020
Source: UOL