Juscelino Filho would have pocketed per diems on official trips in Brazil and abroad, says website

Minister Juscelino Filho, of Communications, would have pocketed part of the per diem of several domestic and foreign trips by fulfilling only a few official commitments, according to a survey released this Friday (21) by the website metropolises. The new complaint against the politician adds to other discoveries since the beginning of the year, such as the use of a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) plane to go to a race horse auction, the father-in-law’s role in the ministry without being officially appointed, among others (see below).

The new investigation points out that Juscelino Filho would have pocketed per diems by stretching official schedules by making appointments on Fridays and Mondays, but taking advantage of the entire weekend at the destination, in addition to inconsistencies in the rendering of accounts for the receipt of national and international ticket values.

The survey points to at least eight occasions when the minister would have “stretched” the weekend beyond official agendas, on trips to São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Portugal, Spain, China, United States, Sweden, Finland and, finally, to Maranhão, his state of origin.

According to metropolisesthe investigation crossed data from the Transparency Portal with the minister’s official agenda, which would have been updated and included some of the official commitments after questioning by the report.

Despite the sequence of accusations and investigations, Juscelino Filho is kept in office by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) due to negotiations for “governability” with União Brasil. The minister is part of the party quota in exchange for supporting the government.

From “urgent” travel to commitments without detail

On a trip of just six hours to Minas Gerais in June, which was considered urgent, Juscelino Filho received R$5,200 in reimbursement, and even used a FAB plane to travel to Belo Horizonte. However, according to the investigation, he entered into the system the purchase of two airline tickets of R$ 2,400 each, in addition to a daily rate of R$ 299.

Another trip, to São Paulo, would have earned the minister R$3,000 for four and a half days, despite having fulfilled his official agenda in just two days. In Portugal, it was almost R$ 10,000 for four nights with only one scheduled meeting.

On the trip to Spain, in February, Juscelino Filho received R$ 24,400 for ten days, but with official commitments scheduled in just three days. In April, he received BRL 82,100 in daily rates and plane tickets when he accompanied the presidential delegation to China and then left for Las Vegas, in the United States, to participate in a communication fair.

According to Metrópolis, this last trip had only one official appointment marked on the agenda, which was later updated by the ministry with the insertion of 14 appointments.

On trips to Sweden and Finland, Juscelino Filho received BRL 18.1 million in daily rates, but the Transparency Portal does not provide details.

Set of factors explains the daily rates, says ministry

The Ministry of Communications reported that Minister Juscelino Filho’s travels “occurred within the law, since a number of factors are taken into account, such as the duration of the flight (origin/destination), compliance with scheduled official commitments and the factor of adapting to the time zone, which requires a period of time for the entourage to adapt to the final destinations”.

Questioned about the inconsistencies in the release of data on the Transparency Portal in relation to the official agenda, the ministry limited itself to informing that the minister “has been traveling all over Brazil to deliver the MCom to society. All trips are carried out by means of a request to use the FAB plane or by means of commercial aviation, all duly registered”.

The folder also detailed some of the trips abroad in which commitments were not marked on the official agenda, such as participation in meetings and events, meetings with ministers, companies and entities of the private sector, regulatory bodies from other countries, among others.

Juscelino has been the target of successive investigations

The new finding that he would have pocketed travel allowances paid by the public coffers adds to a series of others that have marked Juscelino Filho’s tenure in the ministry – and generated wear and tear with President Lula.

At the beginning of the year, the minister would have used a FAB flight and expenses paid by the Union to participate in personal commitments amid a work schedule in São Paulo with only three official appointments. However, he extended the trip for the weekend to participate, among other events, in an upstate horse auction.

In June, another investigation discovered that the minister’s father-in-law, businessman Fernando Fialho, works at the ministerial office without being officially appointed and unrelated to the attribution of the portfolio.

He would also have used the position of federal deputy in recent years to placate people from his circle in the Legislative, such as the partner of his stud farm in Maranhão in a position of trust in the Senate, with a salary of R$ 17,000.

Still under the influence of the position in the past, Juscelino would have employed the stud farm manager and his private plane pilot in the Chamber of Deputies, with salaries of R$7,800 and R$10,200, respectively, between 2016 and 2018.

He also pointed out that the minister would have, while he was a federal deputy, forwarded parliamentary amendments to pave a 19-kilometer road that gives access to his properties in the state, at a cost of R$ 5 million.

The opposition even considered an impeachment of the minister and opened a crisis in the Lula government with União Brasil, which forms part of the support base. The president, however, decided to keep Juscelino in office.