Dino must take charge of the STF case that affects Lula’s minister – 12/04/2023 – Power

The investigation into suspected misappropriation of resources from parliamentary amendments in Maranhão, which affects the high level of the Lula government (PT) and parliamentarians, should be in the hands of Flávio Dino at the STF (Supreme Federal Court).

Former state governor, Dino was nominated by Lula for a vacancy on the court, opened after Rosa Weber’s retirement, and still needs to be confirmed by the Senate. The hearing at the House’s CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission) is scheduled for the 13th.

The Minister of Communications, Juscelino Filho (União Brasil-MA), and deputy Josimar Maranhãozinho (PL-MA) are being investigated in the case. At the center of the Federal Police investigation is the construction company Construservice and its hidden partner, Eduardo José Barros Costa, known as Eduardo DP.

The PF assesses that front contractors are used to rig bids and divert resources from Construservice works that used parliamentarians’ amendments.

For the PF, one of these companies, Arco, belongs to Juscelino himself, even though the minister is not a formal partner and says he has no relationship with the contractor. Such as Sheet showed, Juscelino indicated an amendment for repairs to the dirt road that gives access to the minister’s own farm, in a service carried out by Arco.

The inquiry into deviations in paving works with amendment funds has become sensitive for the government and the center. In addition to those currently investigated, there are other parliamentarians who indicated funds for services carried out by Construservice.

The investigation in which Juscelino and deputy Josimar Maranhãozinho are being investigated is being processed by the STF and had as rapporteur the current president of the STF, Luís Roberto Barroso.

The process was passed on to Minister Rosa Weber when Barroso took command of the Supreme Court, at the end of September. After the minister’s retirement, the case was left without a rapporteur and, therefore, will fall into the hands of the next member of the court.

The rapporteur for Dino’s appointment, senator Weverton Rocha (PDT-MA), who is not one of those investigated, directed at least R$34 million to agreements with city halls that hired two companies that the PF says belong to Eduardo DP.

Coaf (Financial Activities Control Council) also found transfers between several companies competing for bids for works recommended by the senator.

Josimar was investigated after the PF found transfers from Construservice to the deputy’s advisors.

Eduardo DP’s company also carried out works in other states, such as Tocantins, with funds indicated by senator Eduardo Gomes (PL).

The parliamentarians and Juscelino deny irregularities and involvement with Construservice. The communications minister’s lawyers say that “the conclusions that Juscelino had any personal benefit from his parliamentary activity are absurd.”

It is up to the STF case rapporteur to evaluate, for example, requests from the PF to carry out new search and seizure investigations or to break confidentiality. In the third stage of the Odoacro operation, which investigates the alleged diversion of amendment funds, Minister Barroso authorized only part of the PF’s requests.

Then rapporteur of the case, he claimed the risk of “institutional impact of the measure”, whose damage could be “irreversible”, and blocked the PF’s intention to carry out a search of the Communications Minister’s addresses.

To request authorization for the most recent phase of Odoacro, researchers pointed to dialogues between Eduardo DP and Juscelino. The messages show that the current minister dealt with the businessman about the execution of amendments, works and payments to companies and third parties.

Eduardo DP’s company became the second largest beneficiary of paving contracts from Codevasf (Companhia de Desenvolvimento dos Vales do São Francisco e do Parnaíba) under the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government.

Data from the Transparency Portal indicate that there is around R$160 million committed to Eduardo DP’s company by the federal government, of which more than R$24 million has been paid. These values ​​do not consider contracts signed with Construservice in Codevasf agreements with city halls.

The contractor has also increased the number of contracts in Maranhão in recent years. From 2015 to 2022, under the governments of Dino and his deputy, Carlos Brandão (PSB), Eduardo DP’s company received around R$710 million from the state government.

As shown by Sheet, Eduardo DP maintained political relations in Maranhão with Dino’s allies. State deputy and political coordinator of Dino’s campaign in 2022, Othelino Neto (PC do B) maintains a friendly relationship with Construservice’s hidden partner and employed the businessman’s wife. Neto is the husband of Ana Paula Lobato (PSB), Dino’s deputy in the Senate.

Former Secretary of Infrastructure for Dino in Maranhão, Clayton Noleto (PSB) also approached Eduardo DP. Responsible for signing some of Construservice’s contracts with the state government, Noleto received a declaration of support from the businessman for the campaign for the Chamber of Deputies in 2022.

Eduardo DP even planned to run for public office, but gave up, and has the coveted support of politicians from the interior, say congressmen from Maranhão. He is the son of Arlene Costa, former mayor of Dom Pedro (MA).

The businessman was arrested four times from 2015 to 2016 in investigations into loan sharking, corruption and bid fraud. In July 2022, Eduardo DP was arrested again, this time by the PF, who found R$1.3 million in cash in the businessman’s house, as well as luxury items.