Lupi says that government had no dimension of the frauds in the INSS: ‘I never covered’

The former Minister of Social Security, Carlos Lupidenied this Monday (8) any involvement in irregularities in the scheme that diverted $ 6.3 billion retirees through fraudulent discounts. During testimony to CPMI do INSSIn the Senate, he said he was unaware of the fraud or acted to hide them. “I never covered,” he said. “We never had the ability to size the size, the volume these criminals made in the INSS. This was only possible after the Federal police He investigated for real, when she did not archive, ”said Lupi, noting that the Federal Police opened investigations in 2016 and 2020 to investigate fraud in social security, but both were filed.

The former minister attended as a witness, accompanied by two lawyers, and stressed that he is not being investigated. “What to ask me will be answered,” he said when he arrived at the commission, adding that he expected to be treated with respect. In the early 15 minutes of speech, he highlighted measures that he would have adopted against irregularities and defended his trajectory.

“Missing is human and I may have been wrong several times, but bad faith I have never had. Overpass I never did in my life. There may be someone who struggled both for the bets and I have no,” he said. At CPMI, Lupi also defended the revision of the discounts of payable credit in the benefits of retirees and pensioners. . “It is important to go deep into this process of discounts that are done with retirees and pensioners for payroll loan. Now they ended up with the associative’s sheet discount, why not end also the payroll credit discounts?” He asked.

The session was marked by clashes. CPMI rapporteur, Deputy Alfredo Gaspar (Union-AL), adopted tone hard and accused Lupi in omission. “It is standard Lupi to be involved in allegations of corruption, was it deliberate omission or did you function as Queen of England?” He asked. The rapporteur’s stance caused reaction from governing parliamentarians, who charged balance in the questions. Gaspar, who had already made public criticism of the federal government before taking over the rapporteur, also tried to relate President Lula to the case, questioning who would have invited Lupi to head the portfolio.

In his defense, the former minister stressed that all complaints against him were filed. According to Lupi, the first decision took place in 2016 and the second in 2020, during the government of Jair Bolsonaro. “All the accusations they made against me were archived,” he said. CPMI intends to hear all former social security ministers since the second government Dilma Rousseff. In all, ten names must be summoned by the end of the month if they do not accept to appear spontaneously.

*With information from Agência Brasil