Former Labor and Pension Minister José Carlos Oliveira said on Thursday (11) that possible failures in his management in 2022 were due to “lack of structure”, not out of negligence. He gave testimony at the CPMI (Mixed Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) of the INSS (National Institute of Social Security).
According to the former minister-who changed the name to Ahmed Mohamad Oliveira Andrade-, he was only aware of the fraud in the INSS from the operation of the PF (Federal Police). He denied being warned by authorities during his administration in the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL).
The rapporteur, Deputy Alfredo Gaspar (Union-AL), and government parliamentarians highlighted at the meeting that Oliveira was responsible for signing and endorsement to ACTs (technical cooperation agreements) of associative entities with the INSS. The former minister, however, stated that the signature was a “mechanical process” and that it is not for the institute to oversee the agreements.
While governors aimed at the signatures of ACTs in the Bolsonaro government, which made associative discounts, opposition parliamentarians, have highlighted that the charges have grown “exponentially” in recent years, already in the current petista government.
Oliveira stated that in his management there was no guidance from the CGU (Comptroller General of the Union) or the TCU (Federal Court of Audit) on associative discounts. Career server 40 years ago, he was president of the INSS between November 2021 and March 2022 and then commanded the Labor and Social Security portfolio from March to December 2022, during the Boslonaro government.
“Perhaps we were flawed in these issues regarding the issue of fraud, but not for inertia, not out of negligence, but for lack of structure,” he said during the hearing. He highlighted the “heavy” load of work and lack of servers. “Unfortunately, if I stopped doing things, I left it, because I had other things to do, not because I didn’t do anything,” he said.
Government parliamentarians warned Oliveira about possible “false testimony” and indicated that they must submit a new call to hear him again.
Confidentiality
This Thursday, CPMI approved a series of secrecy breaks, but Oliveira was spared. The agenda included requests for breach of bank and fiscal secrecy, as well as requests from RIFS (Financial Intelligence Reports) to the former Minister’s Coaf (Financial Activities Control Council). By agreement, the requests were not voted.
However, the board approved Yasmin Rifs Requirements Ahmed Hatheyer Oliveira, daughter of the former minister, covering the period from January 2021 to December 2024. She was identified as a partner of one of the olive companies.
Congress endorsement
At the meeting, the rapporteur Alfredo Gaspar acknowledged that the end of the revalidation of associative discounts – which gave rise to the INSS fraud – received the endorsement of Congress.
In 2019, a provisional measure published by the government and approved in Congress extended the deadline for revalidation to every three years, from December 31, 2021. Then, in 2022, another MP revoked this rule and ended the forecast of need for review.
“It was approved by parliamentarians, these two houses have a huge responsibility as far as we arrived. So, this ‘jabuti’ business and approve the cashier came a result, here is the historical. So, you don’t have to look for governments, the biggest responsibility was the Senate and the House of approving the end of revalidation,” said Gaspar.
