TCU omits whether it acted on coup audio by Minister Nardes – 08/24/2023 – Power

More than nine months after the publication of an audio in which Minister Augusto Nardes, of the TCU (Union Court of Auditors), claims to be aware that “a very strong movement in the barracks” would lead to a “conflict” with “unpredictable” consequences ” for the country, the court omits information about the unfolding of the episode.

On November 20 last year, the Sheet revealed the message, sent by Nardes to a group of friends linked to agribusiness. Listened to today, it sounds like a harbinger of an attempt at institutional rupture similar to the one that occurred weeks later, on January 8th.

“It’s the worst moment the nation will live, but maybe it’s important to be able to recover. (…) What will happen now? There’s a very strong movement happening in the barracks. I think it’s a matter of hours, days, in the a week at most, two, or maybe less than that, when a very strong outcome will happen in the nation. Unpredictable”, says Nardes.

“Are we going to lose? Yes, we are going to lose something, but the situation for the future of the nation could unfold in a positive way, despite this main conflict that we should have in the next few days or hours.”

Before becoming a minister at the TCU, Nardes was active in politics: he was a councilor, state deputy and federal deputy representing Rio Grande do Sul, always for right-wing parties, from Arena, a party that supported the dictatorship. In the audio, he recalls his work over the years to strengthen what he calls “the conservative society”.

He also praises the then president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), who had just been defeated in the presidential election by the current president, Lula (PT).

“Now comes Bolsonaro, who has awakened the conservative society, and today everyone is on the streets defending these principles. We took a while, but fortunately we woke up.”

The minister boasted of the role he occupied in those around power after last year’s presidential election. “I spoke at length with Bolsonaro’s team this week (…), [o presidente,] he hopes to recover and improve his physical situation, and will certainly be able to face what will happen in the country. (…) I can’t say much because…, yes, I have a lot of information.”

Nardes then concludes: “The coming days will be hazy and what will happen in terms of development is not known, but we will certainly have very strong developments in the coming days”.

With the repercussion of the audio, the minister asked the court of accounts for medical leave, which was renewed at least twice, as reported in December by the newspaper O Globo. More is not known: the TCU does not reveal.

The report sent the following questions to the court on Tuesday (22): Was any internal action taken to determine the content of the minister’s audio? Is there/was there any lawsuit open in the Internal Affairs of TCU or something similar? Was there any warning, oral or written, to Minister Augusto Nardes? Has the TCU been asked by any investigation or control body to clarify or provide information about the case? What information did you provide?

The court —which usually carries out assessments on the level of transparency of bodies of the three Powers— did not respond to any of them. It limited itself to stating that “information on matters related to Internal Affairs is not public in nature, and it is not possible to share it”.

Augusto Nardes is also the rapporteur for the TCU process that investigates possible irregularities in the sale or attempt to negotiate gifts received by former President Bolsonaro on official trips. In a first measure, in March, he prohibited Bolsonaro from selling the gifts, but did not determine their return, which only occurred by decision of the full court.

The report also asked to interview ministers Augusto Nardes and Bruno Dantas, this TCU president, but both refused to speak. Nardes reported that he had already commented on the episode previously, through the following note.

READ THE FULL NOTE OF NARDES

Minister Augusto Nardes, of the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), clarifies that, contrary to what has been conveyed, at no time did he speak of a military coup or make any comments offensive to the country’s institutions or any of its constituted authorities.

He only made comments and expressed personal reflections on the current situation in the country, in addition to reflections on possible developments in a scenario of tensioning democracy that still exists in several states and locations in the nation.

He reaffirms that he only expressed to interlocutors from one sector his concern as a citizen with the movements that are observed in the barracks and that can result in unpredictable consequences.