Ricardo Salles: Prosecution asks for disapproval of accounts – 02/08/2023 – Power

The Regional Electoral Prosecutor’s Office in São Paulo asked for the disapproval of the electoral accounts of federal deputy Ricardo Salles (PL-SP), former Minister of Environment in the government of Jair Bolsonaro.

Based on an analysis carried out by technicians from the TRE (Regional Electoral Court) of São Paulo, the Attorney General’s Office stated that Salles did not prove expenses in the amount of R$245,000, in addition to pointing out irregularities relating to another R$181,000.

In the manifestation dated Monday (6), the Electoral Public Prosecutor’s Office says that the data pointed out by the technicians of the TRE-SP “compromise the health of the accounts” of the congressman.

Bolsonaro’s former minister declared to the Electoral Justice a total of R$ 2.4 million in expenses. He won 640,000 votes, fourth in the ranking of federal deputies elected by São Paulo. He took office in the House earlier this month.

A Sheet Salles stated, through a note, that the “accounts are correct and all requested information has been provided in full” to the Electoral Justice.

Salles left the Bolsonaro government in 2021, after becoming the subject of an investigation at the STF (Federal Supreme Court) in an operation by the Federal Police that investigates favoring entrepreneurs in the wood sector. In addition, he also gained fame by speaking during a ministerial meeting about loosening environmental rules during the pandemic to “pass the cattle”.

Disapproval of electoral accounts may result in suspension of transfers of party and electoral funds. Depending on the inconsistencies, candidates may be investigated for crimes of abuse of economic power, with a possible penalty of ineligibility.

After the manifestation of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the case is now going to trial. If the court accepts this understanding, Salles will have to return the portion of R$ 245 thousand to the PL for configuring “campaign surplus”, in addition to refunding the amount of R$ 181 thousand to the National Treasury.

The rapporteur for the case, Judge Maurício Fiorito, stated that Salles, “in a manifestly untimely manner and on more than one occasion”, attached documents to the case file when they were ready to judge the case.

According to Fiorito, the conduct can be classified as an abuse of the right to petition, as it interferes with the electoral calendar. This may be considered at trial.

In a demonstration on January 26, Salles’ lawyers stated that “contracts and payment receipts that were eventually not presented at first in the initial list offered in the case file result from the very short time lapse” for this measure.

“It is true that the extensive work done makes it difficult to determine the detailed items requested by the technical area, many of which are not foreseen in the legislation in force or in the resolutions that regulate the rendering of electoral accounts”, stated the defense of the former minister.

Despite the new information and documents sent to TRE-SP, Cocep (Coordination of Electoral and Party Accounts) assessed that the inconsistencies persist.

Among the findings, court technicians pointed out inconsistencies in the accounts relating to a promotional marketing service provider, in the amount of R$ 204,000.

The analysis identified, among other points, “payment receipts with values ​​different from those presented in the service contract” and contracts and personnel payment receipts that do not match other documents attached to the process.

Cocep also stated that there was “omission of expenses and the use of resources of unidentified origin that supported them, in the total amount of R$ 60 thousand”, referring to the contracting of services to boost campaign content on the internet.

It was also identified the receipt of an amount (R$ 15 thousand) as a donation from a source prohibited by the Electoral Justice, detected by consulting the Federal Revenue database. The donor, according to the court, is a public service licensee.

As for the “timely” sending of information to the authorities, the Electoral Justice technicians stressed that Salles did not comply with the legal deadline to send information on part of the donations received (R$ 784 thousand of the R$ 2.4 million collected, which represents 32.7 %).

Failure to submit a campaign financial report within 72 hours of receiving a donation is considered a serious inconsistency, which characterizes omission of information.