The INSS CPMI approved a request asking the Supreme Court (STF) to order the preventive arrest of 21 people involved in fraud against retirees and pensioners.
The committee’s chairman, Senator Carlos Viana (Podemos-MG), said that all those listed are already involved in investigations by the Federal Police and the Comptroller General’s Office (CGU). Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça is expected to rule on the request for pretrial detention.
“The Federal Police have names, the Federal Police have the means, they have [information on] how all the money was withdrawn from the retirees’ accounts, and we haven’t arrested anyone to date. We haven’t frozen any assets to date. This is shameful impunity in Brazil,” said Carlos Viana.
The idea of preventive detention came from the CPMI rapporteur, federal deputy Alfredo Gaspar (União-AL), during the testimony of lawyer Eli Cohen this Monday (1st). According to the request, the arrests are necessary “for the convenience of criminal investigation, to guarantee public order and to ensure the application of criminal law”.
Among others, the application suggests the arrest of:
1. André Paulo Fidelis;
2. Eric Douglas Fidelis;
3. Cecilia Rodrigues Mota;
4. Virgil Antonio Ribeiro de Oliveira Filho;
5. Thaisa Hoffmann Jonasson;
6. Maria Paula Xavier da Fonseca Oliveira;
7. Alexandre Guimarães;
8. Antonio Carlos Camilo Antunes;
9. Rubens Oliveira Costa;
10. Romeu Carvalho Antunes;
11. Domingos Savio de Castro;
12. Milton Salvador de Almeida Junior;
13. Adelinon Rodrigues Junior;
14. Alessandro Antonio Stefanutto;
15. Geovani Batista Spiecker;
16. Reinaldo Carlos Barroso de Almeida;
17. Vanderlei Barbosa dos Santos;
18. Jucimar Fonseca da Silva;
19. Philipe Roters Coutinho;
20. Mauricio Camissotti;
21. Marcio Alaor de Araújo.
Deputies Rogério Correia (PT-MG) and Paulo Pimenta (PT-RS) questioned the strength of the lawyer’s testimony because he did not present evidence of the complaints and accusations he made.
Also participating in the CPMI meeting were deputies Delegate Fabio Costa (PP-AL), Colonel Fernanda (PL-MT), Beto Pereira (PSDB-MS) and Mário Heringer (PDT-MG), among others; and senators Izalci Lucas (PL-DF), Leila Barros (PDT-DF), Tereza Cristina (PP-MS), Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS), Jorge Seif (PL-SC), Randolfe Rodrigues (PT-AP) and others.
Seif emphasized that the Federal Police identified the names of “senators and representatives who received monthly payments from the institutions that robbed retirees.” He filed a request with the commission asking the Federal Police to reveal these names.
Cohen also stated in his testimony that a similar criminal scheme is occurring in connection with payroll loans granted to retirees and pensioners. He said banks, including Banco BMG, Banco Master, and Picpay, were involved in these alleged frauds.