Minutes of meetings of the National Social Security Council show that Minister was warned of irregularities in pensions in June 2023
Minutes of CNPS (National Social Security Council) meetings show that Social Security Minister Carlos Lupi was warned of the increase in unauthorized retirement discounts in June 2023, but took 10 months to take action. The information was revealed by “Jornal Nacional”as well TV Globoand confirmed by Poder360.
According to the documents available on the board’s website, the first time the theme came at a meeting was in June 12, 2023but the item was only included in the agenda of the meeting of April 24, 2024.
Lupi is chairman of the Council, which brings together the Ministry’s summit, the INSS (National Institute of Social Security) and retirees, unions and employer entities.
At the 2023 meeting, Counselor Tonia Galleti asked to include on the agenda of the day a discussion about the Acts (technical cooperation agreements) of entities that have a monthly discount with the INSS.
At the time, Galleti also asked to submit entities that have agreements with the institute, the growth curve of associates in the previous 12 months and a regulation proposal that brought more security to workers, the INSS and the control bodies.
Lupi, however, did not approve the request. Said that, although relevant, “There was no condition to do so immediately, as it would be necessary to conduct a more accurate survey”. Read the Meeting Minutes (PDF – 305 KB).
HAS TV GloboLupi confirmed that the theme of the fraud was presented to the Council in June 2023 and that from then on the INSS began to review rules and formulate proposals for changes in social security systems. The minister stated that the changes were completed in March 2024, when the INSS presented a normative instruction with the new rules for discounts.
INSS President Alessandro Stefanutto is the target of a PF (Federal Police) investigation to ascertain more than $ 6 billion retirement from 2019 to 2024.
The corporation identified irregularities in the discounts of associative tuition applied to social security benefits, especially pensions and pensions, granted by the INSS (National Institute of Social Security). After the operation, Stefanutto, who was nominated by Lupi, was removed and fired by the President (PT).
In the minutes of the meeting of April 24, 2024, the first mention of the theme appears “Associative Contribution Discount”. The document reports that counselor Hélio Queiroz asked Lupi to evaluate the situation of associations, since the press would be “Putting the INSS in an unpleasant situation daily.”
Queiroz suggested that the blockade of the institutions will be valid from the following month. Lupi replied that he would need to confirm with the legal department and left the meeting to go to another appointment. The discussion continued in the presence of Stefanutto. Read the minutes (PDF – 193 KB).
Operation without discount
The PF launched on Wednesday (23.abr) to investigate a scheme of undue discounts on Retirement and Pensions of the INSS. The operation fulfilled 211 search and seizure court orders and 6 temporary arrest warrants in the Federal District and 13 states.
According to the PF, the investigation identified the existence of irregularities related to the discounts of associative monthly payments applied to social security benefits, especially retirement and pensions, granted by the INSS.
The government reported that by 2023 the CGU began a series of findings on the increase in the number of entities and discounted values of retirees. From this process, audits were made in 29 entities that had ACTs (technical cooperation agreements) with the INSS. There were also interviews with 1,300 retirees who had payroll discounts.
According to the government, the CGU identified that the entities had no operational structure to provide the services they offered to the beneficiaries and that, of the interviewees, most had not authorized the discounts. The controllership also identified that 70% of the 29 entities analyzed had not delivered full documentation to the INSS.
In the operation, 6 people were removed from their duties. Among them,.
This is the list of people who were removed from their positions in the INSS:
- Alessandro Stefanutto – President (who later resigned);
- Virgílio Ribeiro de Oliveira Filho -INSS Attorney General;
- Vanderlei Barbosa dos Santos – Director of Benefits with the Citizen;
- Young gathers faise spiecker -General Coordinator of customer service support;
- JUCIMAR FONSECA DA SILVA -General Coordinator of Payments and Benefits;
- federal police – Identity was not disclosed.
The crimes in investigation are:
- active and passive corruption;
- Functional confidentiality violation;
- Document forgery;
- criminal organization;
- capital washing.
The PF said it seized luxury cars, cash, jewelry and paintings. Total values and the exact amount are still in survey.
Earlier on the same day, at 6:30 am, PF Director-General Andrei Rodrigues and CGU minister Vinícius de Carvalho met with Lula at the Dawn Palace to explain the operation and the adopted measures.
Here are some information clarified by the government:
- How does the monthly discount?
Class entities, such as associations and unions, formalize technical cooperation agreements with the INSS (National Institute of Social Security). These agreements allow entities to make associative monthly discounts directly on the payroll of the INSS beneficiaries, provided they are authorized by retirees and pensioners. - Beneficiary authorization
For the discount to be held, the entity needs the express and individual authorization of each beneficiary to make the discount of its associative monthly fee. In the investigation, however, the absence of rigorous verification of this authorization and the possibility of falsification of affiliation and authorization documents were identified.
Adopted measures
The government determined the suspension of technical cooperation agreements of the INSS -associated entities and, consequently, discounts made in retired and pensioners payments of payments.
According to the government, 11 associated entities were the subject of legal measures. Read below what are the year when the agreement with the INSS was signed:
- Aapb (2021);
- Monkey (previously called Absp) (2023);
- Aapps Universe (2022);
- ABCB/AMAR BRASIL (2022);
- Ambec (2017);
- APDAP Prev (previously called welcome) (2022);
- Caap (2022);
- Conafer (2017);
- Contag (1994);
- Unaspub (2022);
- Sindnapi (2014).
According to the government, INSS retirees and pensioners who identify improper discount of associative monthly payment in the payment statement (paycheck) may apply for the exclusion of the debt automatically by the application or website.
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