Americanas CPI closes work without pointing out culprits for breach

The Americanas Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) concluded the collegiate’s work this Tuesday (26) without indicting those possibly responsible for the R$20 billion fraud at the retailer. The final report was approved by 18 votes against 8 against.

The CPI rapporteur, deputy Carlos Chiodini (MDB-SC) acknowledged “the possible participation of the company’s top management”, but said “there is not enough evidence to indict those responsible for the irregularities in the accounting balance that masked the billion-dollar hole”.

“There is no proof and there was no time for us to be inquisitors, to play the role of police, judge and prosecutor. I don’t have the courage to accuse people before investigations, new facts come out every day”, said the parliamentarian.

For some members of the CPI, there was “shielding” of the company’s trio of controllers (Carlos Alberto da Veiga Sicupira, Jorge Paulo Lemann and Marcel Hermann Telles). They also mentioned that the lack of instruments to deepen investigations made the commission’s work unfeasible.

In the opinion of deputy Mendonça Filho (União-PE), the rapporteur’s option was to “preservation of the company and maintenance of jobs” and for investigations to be concluded by the courts. In his opinion, “there is nothing that directly implicates reference shareholders”.

In the final report, the rapporteur suggested four bills to combat crimes in company management and improve capital market supervision. In one of the proposals, the crime of property infidelity is created with a prison sentence of one to five years, in addition to a fine, for anyone who causes damage to the property of third parties under their responsibility.

With information from Agência Câmara.