Bribe to Traiano is related to other cases of corruption

The president of the Legislative Assembly of Paraná (Alep), Ademar Traiano (PSD), is being pressured to leave office after an agreement came to light in which he admits to having received bribes. The case happened in 2015 and is related to other investigations into corruption involving the J. Malucelli group, which includes the company responsible for paying undue amounts.

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Traiano’s confession was revealed by RPC (TV Globo affiliate in Paraná), via the portal G1 and the newspaper Plural after being included by the defense of deputy Renato Freitas (PT) in a lawsuit filed against the parliamentarian by Traiano himself. The president of Alep filed a representation with the House Ethics Council after a dispute between the two during a plenary session, which culminated in Traiano being called corrupt by the PT member.

Traiano even managed to obtain an injunction prohibiting the publication of the reports, but the decision was overturned by judge Rosaldo Elias Pacagnan, from the Court of Justice of Paraná (TJ-PR).

Declaration revealed request for bribes

The agreement was signed as part of the plea bargain of businessman Vicente Malucelli. In the statement, signed with the Public Ministry of Paraná (MP-PR) and approved by the Court, Malucelli claims that Traiano asked for R$300,000 in bribes. The meeting in which the amount was agreed also included former deputy Plauto Miró (now União Brasil), who was Alep’s first secretary.

The bribe related to a bid won by TV Icaraí in 2012, which was under the responsibility of Malucelli. TV won the competition to plan and produce content for Alep’s channel, TV Assembleia. At the time, the House announced that the bidding would bring savings of R$1.51 million to the institution. The contract was valid for three years, with payment of R$318 thousand per month. There was the possibility of renewal for another two years.

In his statement, Malucelli says he understood that, if the bribe was not paid, the TV contract would not be renewed.

After negotiations, the value was reduced to R$200 thousand – R$ 100 thousand for each deputy. The businessman recorded conversations with Traiano, which were handed over to the Public Ministry.

Traiano and Miró confessed their request

The amount was paid to Traiano in two installments. The first, in cash, was delivered within Alep itself. The second, in checks, was paid at the building where the deputy lives. Miró received the amounts at the headquarters of the J. Malucelli Group, according to the statement.

In December 2022, Traiano and Miró signed a Criminal Non-Prosecution Agreement (ANPP), in which they confessed that they asked for and received the bribe. Under the terms of the agreement, both agreed to return R$187,000 in a single installment. As a result, they will not be prosecuted in court. The process that includes the agreement is confidential.

Other companies in the Malucelli group participated in illicit activities

The TV Icaraí case is just one involving companies from the J. Malucelli group. In August 2020, the group signed a leniency agreement with the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) and the MP-PR recognizing participation in criminal acts.

In the agreement, companies confessed to having paid bribes to obtain favors in bids since 2009. The agreement provided for the payment of R$100 million as compensation. Furthermore, the companies committed to providing relevant information and evidence about the participation of other people in schemes investigated by the MPF and MP-PR.

One of the investigations that gained the most notoriety was that of the Rádio Patrulha operation, which looked into a bribe payment scheme involving the “Patrulha do Campo” program, aimed at recovering rural roads in Paraná.

Launched in September 2018, the State Public Prosecutor’s Office operation arrested businessman J. Malucelli. In a plea bargain in 2021, Malucelli stated that he participated, in 2011, in a meeting in which a bribe was requested.

The main recipient of the amounts would be the former governor of Paraná and now federal deputy Beto Richa (PSDB). Richa was arrested in the same operation, when he was a candidate for a Senate seat. According to the MP-PR, the toucan was the head of a criminal organization that rigged bids for the program, worth R$72.2 million. At the time, the former governor denied the accusations.

More investigations

The J. Malucelli group was also investigated in developments in the MPF’s Operation Lava Jato. According to the agency, one of them was Sépsis, from 2016. The operation found deviations in Caixa Econômica Federal Investment Funds. According to investigations, Joel Malucelli had paid bribes to Roberto Carlos Madoglio, who was Caixa’s superintendent. The businessman denied the accusations.

Operation Integration, another involving the group, focused on irregularities in Paraná government contracts with toll concessionaires that operated in the Integration Ring. The operation was launched in February 2018.

In March of the same year, J. Malucelli was the target of the 49th phase of Operation Lava Jato, which investigated the payment of bribes worth R$135 million in the construction works of the Belo Monte plant, in Pará. The group was part of the consortium that was hired for the work.

Still in 2018, in September, Operation Pilot was launched, in which the J. Malucelli group is also involved, according to the MPF. The operation investigated irregularities in the duplication of PR-323between the cities of Paraná, Maringá and Francisco Alves.

What those mentioned say

Representative Ademar Traiano stated that there was no investigation into the documents, which are under judicial secrecy. He claims that the agreement was illegally leaked, as it was confidential.

Former deputy Plauto Miró did not return the contact made by Gazeta do Povo. The government of Paraná – which, according to Traiano, supports his re-election candidacy for the presidency of Alep – did not comment on the case.

To G1, TV Icaraí said that Vicente Malucelli’s contract was terminated in 2021, due to “conducts incompatible with the company’s governance rules”. Malucelli stated that the TV report is “untrue”, and said he collaborated with the MP in the corruption scandals being investigated.

The MP-PR stated that it cannot comment, and that the investigations under its responsibility have already received the necessary steps.