The National Confederation of Agriculture Workers (Contag) is suspected of diverting $ 2 billion retirees between January 2019 and March 2024. The calculations are from the Federal Police (PF). Investigators now aim at the beneficiaries of the alleged fraud. The PF has already identified that a travel agency a structural leasing company for events and a buffet company have received fractional transfers from the Confederation.
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The information was obtained from a detailed analysis of Contag’s financial flow. The Financial Activities Control Board (COAF) warned PF on the departure of R $ 26,457,531.95 of Confederation accounts for 15 individuals and legal entities linked to the tourism, food and events sectors, as well as state federations linked to Contag. The transfers were fractionated, which raised suspicions.
The Confederation said it coordinates more than 3,800 unions and that “it has always acted with ethics, responsibility and has been actively committed to improving the management and supervision of the projects and agreements it manages”.
The suspicious movements led Judge Frederico Botelho de Barros Viana, from the 15th Federal Criminal Court of the Federal District, to authorize searches at Contag headquarters and at the addresses of companies that received transfers from the Confederation. The warrants were served last Wednesday, during the operation without discount-triggered by the PF and the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU).
INSS Fraud:
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The investigation identified a fraudulent scheme of improper deductions in the benefits of INSS retirees and pensioners.
‘Illicit enrichment’
In his decision, the judge stated that there are “safe evidence” that “responsible for Contag, between 2019 and 2024, they performed (and continue to promote) undue associative discounts of thousands of INSS retirees and pensioners, an action that may have caused illicit enrichment of those involved, with possible concealment of heritage and financial movements”.
Another data raised suspicions of the PF. In November 2023, the INSS authorized the so -called discount batch unlocking in at least 34,000 pensions and pensions for the benefit of Contag. The PF states that the decision, which complied with a request from the entity itself, “was taken based on justifications that were unfounded and contrary to the legislation.”
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INSS beneficiaries can join civil associations and unions and authorize monthly discounts on their paychecks to cover affiliation costs. To this end, the entities must be qualified in the INSS and need to receive “personal and specific” permission of retirees and interested pensioners.
For the PF, the batch discount ignored the requirement of express authorization of the retirees and, in this sense, “did not advise on evidence that could demonstrate the insured’s real intention regarding the unlocking of the discount benefit.”
Contag is on the list of entities suspected of involvement in a megaesquemma of unauthorized discounts on retirement and pensions paid by the INSS.
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The suspicions led the president of the INSS, Alessandro Stefanutto to resign after being removed from office by court order.
According to the investigation, the retirees data were obtained with INSS servers, upon payment of tuition fees. The information would have been registered in suspicious associations, without the knowledge of the retirees, to operate the undue discounts on the paychecks.
‘Management’
In a statement, Contag stated that it coordinates state federations and unions “that work in the fight for the guarantee, maintenance and expansion of rights of more than 15 million rural workers and family farmers, including retired, retired and rural pensioners who are part of the associative framework and authorizing the discount of their contribution.”
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The Confederation also says that “it has been actively committed to improving the management and supervision of the projects and agreements it manages, always in accordance with the legal rules.” “At this time, the entity reiterates its respect for democratic institutions and the commitment to legality in all its actions, and is available to collaborate with the ongoing investigations, defending the total transparency of the investigative process and proper calculation of the facts.”
