STF takes on suspected case of corruption at Codevasf – 03/28/2023 – Power

Investigations into corruption in paving contracts for state-owned company Codevasf migrated from the Federal Court to the STF (Supreme Federal Court) after the Federal Police presented evidence of the connection of federal deputy Josimar Maranhãozinho (PL-MA) with the alleged crimes.

Among the contractors under suspicion is Construservice, one of the main beneficiaries of Codevasf’s asphalting services under the administration of Jair Bolsonaro.

The company closed contracts with funds indicated by several parliamentarians, such as amendments of R$ 20 million from the current Minister of Communications, Juscelino Filho (União Brasil-MA).

The inquiry sent to the STF led to the outbreak of two phases of a PF operation in Maranhão last year.

The case led to the arrest of businessman Eduardo José Barros Costa, known as Eduardo DP or Eduardo Imperador, who is suspected of using oranges to run Construservice and of having paid bribes of R$250,000 to a Codevasf manager. Costa is now free and denies having committed the crimes.

At the federal level, Construservice became the runner-up in Codevasf’s bids in 2021, under the Bolsonaro administration.

At the state level, the contractor had large revenues in Maranhão, receiving around R$ 710 million from 2015 to 2022, a period in which the state was commanded by the current Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino (PSB), and his deputy, Carlos Brandão (PSB).

Eduardo DP made alliances with authorities around Dino and even appeared in at least two photographs alongside the current minister, who denies any relationship with the businessman.

As anticipated by Sheet in October, the PF operation on corruption at Codevasf in Maranhão, entitled Odoacro, found records of financial transactions that placed deputy Maranhãozinho under suspicion.

Information provided by Coaf (Council for the Control of Financial Activities) to the PF showed that Construservice, in addition to two other suspicious companies, made payments to Carlos Roberto Lopes, former chief of staff of Maranhãozinho.

The PF also detected financial transactions between construction companies linked to Eduardo DP and companies that have Josimar Maranhãozinho as a formal partner, or of which he is appointed as hidden owner.

Construtora Madry, which officially belongs to the congressman, transferred BRL 100,000 to ER Distribuição de Asfalto, which has Eduardo DP as a secret partner, according to police investigations. This amount was transferred between September 2019 and the same month of the following year.

The investigation also found transfers of at least R$ 215,000 from the company Águia Farma, of which the deputy is suspected of being a secret partner, to Construservice.

A third firm, whose de facto control is also attributed to the parliamentarian, transferred the company linked to Eduardo DP. It is Joas Empreendimentos e Serviços, which on paper belongs to the deputy’s alleged maid, according to the PF investigation. The firm transferred R$ 158,000 to ER Distribuição de Asphalt.

After the emergence of evidence relating to Maranhãozinho, the Federal Court in Maranhão decided to refer the case to the STF, since congressmen are entitled to a special forum by prerogative of function.

The investigation into corruption at Codevasf then began to be processed by the STF in January and was distributed to the rapporteurship of Minister Luís Roberto Barroso – the content is confidential.

Last month, Codevasf decided to bar Construservice from its bids for two years. The reason for the punishment is the fact that the contractor did not carry out a paving work in concrete block budgeted at R$ 1.3 million, in Lago da Pedra (MA).

The service would be carried out with funds indicated by Juscelino Filho in 2019, when he was leader of the Maranhão bench in the Chamber of Deputies.

Part of Codevasf’s works carried out in Maranhão was supervised by manager Julimar Alves da Silva Filho, who was removed from his position on suspicion of having received bribes of R$ 250,000 from Construservice. These contracts are now being reassessed by the state-owned company.

In 2022, Carlos Roberto Lopes, the former chief of staff of Maranhãozinho, acknowledged Sheet having been paid by companies that the PF points out as linked to Eduardo DP. He said that he provided consultations and that the service was carried out before starting to work in the deputy’s office, even though the payment took place when he was already working with the deputy.

In another inquiry that has been in the STF since August 2020, Maranhãozinho is suspected of embezzling money from parliamentary amendments. He was even caught with wads of cash by the PF.

Days before the last arrest of Eduardo DP, in 2022, the businessman declared support for the candidacy for federal deputy of Clayton Noleto (PSB), who was secretary of Infrastructure in the management of Flávio Dino in the government of Maranhão.

The businessman is still a friend of state deputy Othelino Neto (PC do B), political coordinator of the current minister’s campaign in 2022 and husband of Ana Paula Lobato (PSB), Dino’s alternate in the Senate.

The police investigation into the alleged corruption in the state-owned company gained momentum after reports from the Sheetaccording to the investigation documents.

The report showed in 2022 that Construservice was the deputy leader in bids at Codevasf and used oranges to participate in the competitions.

In the investigation documentation, the PF highlighted the newspaper’s revelation that Costa represented Construservice in an official meeting with the president of Codevasf, Marcelo Moreira, on December 16, 2020, at the company’s headquarters.

Deputy’s defense says he did not have access to the records

The defense of Deputy Josimar Maranhãozinho informed that he asked for access to the case records and will only be able to speak after knowing the content of the investigation.

Codevasf stated that it actively collaborates with the work of the authorities and “has a keen interest in elucidating the facts under investigation”.

Lawyer Marcio Almeida, defender of Julimar Alves da Silva Filho, said that “Mr. Julimar is a candidate for Codevasf. He has no connection with Mr. Josimar.”

As for the alleged receipt of BRL 250,000 by the engineer as a bribe, Almeida stated that “at no time did the PF claim that this resource came from a bribe”.

wanted by Sheetthe defense of Costa and Construservice did not manifest itself.