Novo asks PGR to investigate Lula for trying to appoint Mantega at Vale

The Novo Party filed with the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) a request to investigate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, for the frustrated attempt to place former Finance Minister Guido Mantega in the presidency from Vale. In recent weeks, on behalf of Lula, Silveira called the mining company’s shareholders to defend the appointment of the PT member as CEO, which caused the shares to fall.

Based on news published in the press, Novo points out illegal embarrassment, due to supposed veiled threats that the company could have problems with the government in case of refusal, such as in obtaining licenses and mining concessions.

Novo highlighted the demonstration by PT president, Gleisi Hoffmann, in defense of Mantega. She posted online that “very few Brazilians are as qualified” for the position as Mantega. In addition to not having any experience in the area, the former minister was one of those responsible for one of the biggest recessions in the economy, during the Dilma Rousseff government (2011-2016).

“It is the responsibility of the Attorney General’s Office to act to promote the collection of possible elements of information to strengthen the evidence now provided in this criminal representation and, therefore, investigate the conduct of those represented here”, says the party.

“Acting in a different way is the same as ‘giving a blank check’ to government officials in situations of acting outside legal and constitutional boundaries, with the sole purpose of promoting their personal interests and those of their political group, which is not tolerable in in relation to taxpayers’ public money and, much more, in the face of private companies whose management is solely the responsibility of their Board of Directors”, adds Novo.

This Friday (26), in a press interview, Silveira denied that he had lobbied, on behalf of Lula, for Mantega’s appointment. He stated that the president wanted reparations for those affected by the Mariana tragedy, and that the exploitation of the country’s mineral wealth be carried out in a sustainable manner.

Vale’s board of directors meets next Tuesday (30). Previ, the pension fund for BB employees, is the company’s largest individual shareholder – it holds 8.7% of the shares and two seats on the board.

Other relevant shareholders of Vale are the Japanese company Mutsui, with 6.3% of the shares, the American fund BlackRock, with 5.8% and Cosan, a giant with sugar and alcohol businesses, which bought 4.9% of the shares in the year past.