Analysis: Fabrício Queiroz’s Potential Return to Prison: Implications for Bolsonaro Government

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The potential return of ex-state police officer Fabrício Queiroz to prison should raise new concerns for the Planalto Palace at a time when President Jair Bolsonaro was trying to refrain from friction with other powers and avoid reacting to news about the case.

A personal friend of the presidential family, Queiroz is pointed out by investigators as the operator of a “splitting” scheme (coercion of servants to kickback part of their salaries) in the cabinet of Flávio Bolsonaro, at a time when the president’s son was serving as a deputy in ALERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly).

Queiroz was arrested in June but had been under house arrest for a little over a month due to an injunction by the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) chief judge during the judicial recess. Judge Félix Fischer, rapporteur of the case, revoked the prior ruling on Thursday, August 13th, and ordered his return to jail, as well as the arrest of his wife, Marcia Aguiar.

The decision occurs amid new facts adverse to the Bolsonaro family about the affair. Last week, Crusoé magazine disclosed that Queiroz had deposited at least 21 checks for First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro. Data collected as a result of the ex-adviser’s breach of bank secrecy, authorized by the courts, detail the transactions, which totaled R$72,000 (US$14,000) between 2011 and 2016 to the current president’s wife.

In 2018, when the Queiroz case became public, a report by the former Financial Activities Control Board (COAF) referred to a R$24,000 check deposited by the ex-adviser in favor of Michelle Bolsonaro.

At the time, the President explained that the transaction was related to the payment of a debt and said that the amount deposited could be even higher, amounting to R$40,000. The new facts are in contradiction with this version or at least warrant further explanation.

This week, the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper also disclosed that personal trainer Nathália Queiroz, the ex-state police officer’s daughter, continued to pass on most of her salary to her father even when she joined the staff of then federal deputy Jair Bolsonaro.

Data from Nathália’s breach of bank secrecy, authorized by the courts, show that she transferred R$150,539.41 to the ex-adviser’s account between January 2017 and September 2018. The transfers were interrupted soon after the alleged leak of information to Flávio Bolsonaro about investigations.

“It’s a rather negative combination of events to the Planalto Palace. The strategy, in the midst of this news downpour, is to distance itself from the affair, let Flávio Bolsonaro’s defense counsel work and focus on the economic news,” notes Débora Santos, a political analyst with XP Investments.

The specialist draws attention to a writ of habeas corpus for the couple, submitted to Federal Supreme Court (STF) Justice Gilmar Mendes. Because of the magistrate’s well-known objections to provisional arrests, it is believed that the couple’s prospects of release are substantial.

According to Débora, the salary kickback case currently poses the greatest legal risk to President Jair Bolsonaro. “This issue is much easier for the public to understand than his meddling with the Federal Police, the massive fake news during the elections or even the fake news inquiry,” she says.

“President Jair Bolsonaro is not a party to those investigations, he is not under investigation. His name is not involved in any aspect of those investigations, nor that of the first lady. Now that scenario may change based on this week’s disclosures,” she adds.

Júnia Gama, also a political analyst at XP Investments, notes President Jair Bolsonaro’s less energetic stance on these issues, which may help cool the crisis.

“He has not reacted strongly to any of this news coming out since last week. We have seen a very different profile of the belligerent Bolsonaro, who reacted to everything in a very high tone. The order is to stifle the case. Consequently, this leads to a more muffled environment in Congress,” she concludes.

Source: InfoMoney