PF advances against Braga Netto after suspicion in contracts – 10/25/2023 – Power

The Federal Police has made progress in recent weeks and opened new fronts in the investigation targeting Braga Netto’s management at GIF (Federal Intervention Office in Rio de Janeiro). The developments occur after investigators mapped the role of retired military personnel in intermediating million-dollar contracts.

Information collected by the PF indicates that suspected irregularities in contracts signed by Braga Netto’s management go beyond the case of the purchase of ballistic vests targeted by operation Perfidia, which is investigating the former minister of Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Investigators are still analyzing R$1.2 billion in contracts and cross-referencing the data with information on breaches of confidentiality and materials seized in the operation, but they have already found signs of irregularities in contracts worth R$17.5 million for the purchase of armored vehicles that were not even used by the intervention and remained with the Army.

A new investigation must be opened into the case. On the one hand, the developments in the investigation should put even more pressure on Braga Netto’s possible candidacy for Mayor of Rio through the PL. On the other hand, they point to deviations involving military personnel in Rio, when the Lula (PT) government is again studying the use of the Armed Forces in state security.

General Braga Netto said that the intervention contracts followed legal procedures.

He was appointed intervenor by former president Michel Temer (MDB). Afterwards, he became a minister in the Bolsonaro government and was vice-president on the former president’s re-election ticket — which ended up defeated.

During the intervention, the military purchased 16 Lince K2 armored vehicles from a company linked to the Italian Ministry of Defense. They were never used by Rio’s security forces and ended up being sent to the Army after purchase.

The PF is investigating whether there was a misuse of purpose in hiring these armored vehicles, since the R$1.2 billion budget was intended to improve Rio’s security, and not to equip the Armed Forces.

Furthermore, the PF is investigating whether, as in the case of ballistic vests, the same modus operandi under investigation occurred: the participation of companies linked to retired military personnel in intermediating the business.

The investigators mapped, through conversations on the vest seller’s cell phone, the actions of General Paulo Assis and Colonel Robson Queiroz, both retired, in GIF contracts and in other areas.

The two had their telematic secrecy broken and the information is reinforcing ongoing investigations.

According to the PF, General Paulo Assis sold influence over Bolsonaro, vice Hamilton Mourão and Braga Netto to try to unlock the million-dollar contract for vests. Although the intervention ended in December 2018, most of the amounts committed and contracts were executed later.

Robson Queiroz, who was subordinate for more than two years to Braga Netto, received R$25,000 from the company being investigated on suspicion of corruption in the purchase of vests for the intervention in Rio.

Queiroz was appointed in December 2016 to the Eastern Military Command, then headed by Braga Netto.

The TCU (Federal Audit Court) has already analyzed the federal intervention purchases and pointed out that the armored vehicles in the PF’s sights were used to equip the Army, but not for the daily use of the Rio police — even though the funds had that purpose.

The court concluded that there was a “planning failure that harmed public safety” in the state after the intervention. The body, however, did not consider that there was any irregularity.

The TCU said that armored vehicles can only reinforce actions on the streets of Rio in the case of a GLO (Guarantee of Law and Order) operation. “Which meets the specific and emergency needs of Rio de Janeiro, but not the continuous patrolling and daily operations that are the responsibility of the state’s police forces,” he stated.

When contacted, Assis did not respond to the report’s questions. A Sheet was unable to contact Queiroz.

The federal intervention in Rio also accelerated spending at the end of 2018. In December of that year, the last month of the military’s work, around 66.4% (R$ 774 million) of the total expenses authorized during the entire operation were spent (R $1.165 billion).

The intervention led to the purchase of R$40 million in vests from the company CTU on the last day of December. The Federal Police are precisely investigating whether there was fraud in the purchase of these vests.

The government paid R$36 million to CTU on January 23, 2019, but the amount was returned in September of the same year.

Still in December, the intervention also contracted services from Verint Systems, responsible for providing the FirstMile software, investigated in the case of suspected use by Abin (Brazilian Intelligence Agency) to monitor journalists, judges and Bolsonaro’s opponents.

The two commitment notes with Verint total R$38.6 million, do not detail the purchases and record that the deals are “secret or reserved”.

As shown by Sheetthe intelligence software acquired from Verint by the Intervention remained with the Army.

In a statement, the federal intervention office in Rio de Janeiro said that it did not purchase the armored vehicles, but confirmed that they remained with the Armed Forces. He also stated that there is “the possibility of using it for the benefit of public security bodies in Rio de Janeiro”, if it is in the interest of the local government.

The body is currently linked to the GSI (Institutional Security Office). The purchase of armored vehicles was made through the Army Commission in Washington.

Braga Netto said that the contracts followed public procurement rules. He also stated that the TCU approved these accounts.

“Additionally, it is crucial to understand the context in which the acquisitions were made. The resources were made available in April, and due to the uniqueness and cost of public safety materials and equipment, it was not possible to acquire them immediately, as many of these items They are not ‘off the shelf’ and need to be produced specifically on demand”, said the retired general.

Braga Netto declared that he had no direct involvement in the “final decision” of the contracts and that there was a specific structure for federal intervention acquisitions.

Regarding his relationship with retired general Paulo Assis and colonel Robson Queiroz, the former minister’s note stated that “despite being contemporaries of general Braga Netto, they were with him at sporadic moments and in strictly republican situations.”

The Army, also in a statement, said that the purchase of the armored vehicles was made through “TED (Decentralized Execution Term) to support the needs of the Federal Intervention Office (GIF).”

“Pursuant to a memorandum of understanding signed between Brazil and Italy, Lince armored vehicles can only be used by the Armed Forces, which is why they remained in the Army’s assets, in conditions of multi-purpose use, including in support of Public Security, when necessary.”