Over Half of Rio’s State Deputies Are in Prosecutor’s Office’s (MP) Sights

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Over half of Rio de Janeiro’s Legislative Assembly (ALERJ) deputies are in the Prosecutor’s Office’s (MP) sights. According to VEJA magazine, 42 of the 70 legislators from several parties are under investigation for the kickback practice of ‘rachadinha’ (splitting) – when ghost employees on the official pay roll pay part of their salaries to their employer.

The number is much higher than that disclosed in the 2018 Council for the Financial Activities Control Board (COAF) report, which gave rise to investigations of unusual financial transactions in 22 offices, among them that of today’s Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, President Jair Bolsonaro’s son.

Of the 42 legislators from Rio de Janeiro under investigation by the MP, at least ten have now been targets of petitions to lift their tax and banking secrecy, made to Judge Juliana Benevides, of the 1st Specialized Criminal Court of the Rio de Janeiro State Court (TJ-RJ). The investigation is confidential. On the list of suspects is the president of the ALERJ, André Ceciliano. The leftist’s office featured in the COAF report with the highest atypical transaction, which pointed to transfers of R$49 million between 2011 and 2017.

Ceciliano’s advisor Elisângela Barbieri, who would also own a building materials company, handled around R$26,5 million. Elisângela is the wife of entrepreneur Carlos Alberto Dolavale, known as Betinho, a loan shark linked to the deputy. Ceciliano has always denied any wrongdoing.

In July, deputy Márcio Pacheco was the first to be denounced by the MP on suspicion of splitting. Pacheco also denied the allegations. Former Wilson Witzel’s government leader at ALERJ, Pacheco is indicted for embezzlement, criminal organization, and money laundering. In addition to the deputy, his chief of staff, André Santolia, and ten other people were the targets of proceedings. According to the prosecutors, the deputy’s political group embezzled R$1 million from the salaries of his cabinet advisors. However, the atypical transactions reached R$25.6 million.

The MP has also completed its investigations into the alleged practice of salary kickbacks by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro when he was still a state deputy. The investigations were conducted over almost three years. Behind the scenes, discussions are focused on whether to formalize the indictment against Flávio in the TJ-RJ before or after the municipal elections. The senator and his ex-advisor Fabrício Queiroz are expected to be indicted for criminal organization, embezzlement and money laundering. According to the MP, Flávio Bolsonaro is the gang leader and used R$2.7 million in cash. Queiroz appears as operator of the ALERJ corruption scheme.

Source: Veja