The Minister of Communications, (), used in January one to do a round trip between the coast of Bahia, where he spent a vacation with his family, and Brasilia.
Juscelino had to travel to the federal capital on January 10, after being called by the president (PT) for a meeting at the Planalto Palace. He argued that there was no other way to arrive in time for the commitment and that, therefore, asked the government the aircraft.
On the same day, after meeting with the president, the minister asked FAB plane to take him back to (BA).
The rule for the use of Air Force aircraft by state ministers covers emergency medical flights, safety reasons or service travel.
Juscelino Filho had his holiday period throughout January. He was called to Brasilia for the meeting with Lula and other ministers on the 10th to discuss, which caused great repercussion in the world.
In the letter sent to the FAB to request the plane, the minister’s office justified that the meeting had been scheduled for 10am and that there was no other way to arrive in time for the commitment. He argues that he was summoned around 6 pm the day before.
“In consultation with airlines, there was no possibility of commercial flight that has arrived in time to comply with that agenda, considering that the Minister of Communications is in Trancoso/BA,” the document says.
Research on airline websites shows that there is a flight, every Friday, leaving Porto Seguro at 3:40 and arrives in Brasilia around 9am, with a scale. But it is not possible to know if there were vacancies on these flights.
The announcement of (Facebook owner, Instagram and WhatsApp) with his new guidelines occurred the previous Tuesday, the 7th. President Lula had publicly declared, still on Thursday morning (9), which.
The FAB plane that left Brasilia to Porto Seguro to seek Juscelino was taking an advisor to the minister, who was intended to update him from the last events, as well as to prepare him for the meeting.
The meeting with Lula lasted about two hours. Shortly after the end, the minister embarked again on the FAB plane and went to Porto Seguro to continue the holidays.
Questioned by Sheetthe Ministry of Communications stated that the flight to Brasilia was a trip to service and claimed “the need for immediate displacement” for the ministerial meeting with the president. According to the folder, the Air Force flight was “the only way to arrive in time in Brasilia for the meeting and return to the place where he was with his family.”
Juscelino’s staff did not answer why the minister again used an official flight to return to Bahia, when there was no urgency to reach the destination and there were alternatives of commercial flights on different dates.
Commercial flights from Brasilia to Porto Seguro on Friday afternoons are offered by more than one airline with a scale. On Saturday, the next day, there is a direct flight early in the morning, lasting less than two hours.
The chief minister of the Civil House, (), for example, one of the strong men of the Lula administration, attended the same meeting, had other commitments in the federal capital then and returned home in Salvador on a commercial flight on the same day. The cost of the trip was $ 2,600.
The Ministry of Communications also stated that the entire procedure for Juscelino’s displacement was done with “total transparency and strictly legal.”
“It is important to highlight that, on the other three occasions when he interrupted his vacation for official commitments in Brasilia, the minister did not use FAB services, because in these cases there was availability of flights and timely time,” says the ministry text.
Specialists heard by Sheet They evaluate that the return to Porto Seguro would not be included in the concept of “travel travel”. They point out, on the other hand, that the decree that deals with the subject does not bring details.
The most recent standard, edited in 2020 by the then president (PL), restricted requests for travel for emergency medical, security or service.
“The minister’s return to the vacation destination does not seem to be included in the concept of ‘travel to service’,” said FGV Administrative Law Professor André Rosilho.
“For this reason, the use of FAB plane to return to the vacation destination seems to me to be questionable. The most natural would be that the displacement was made on commercial airline flights,” he added.
According to the expert, the government could fund the return on a commercial flight to the minister’s vacation rather than using FAB plane.
In August 2023, for taking advantage of a FAB plane trip to participate in a horse auction.
The minister is creator of the mile room breed, used in cowboys and other sports.
Unanimously, the members of the collegiate understood that the minister followed all guidelines in the legislation when using the aircraft on a trip to Sao Paulo.
