The president of the Chamber, (-PB), completed this Thursday (23) one hundred days of refusing to answer questions about the .
In the last ten days, the Sheet he went back to looking for the parliamentarian directly, questioning him in the cloakroom (main entrance to the building, where the authorities pass) and at events in , but he refused to comment. Ten questions were also sent to the House’s presidential advisor, which were equally ignored (read the full text at the end of this report).
With the exception of , all other leaders of the main parties in the Chamber also refused to comment on the case regarding the president of the Chamber, who holds the third most important position in the Republic. He is second in line to the President of the Republic, after the Vice President (). The almost general silence goes from left to right.
On July 15th of this year, the Sheet published ghosts in Motta’s office. The three maintained routines that were incompatible with the roles they were supposed to perform in the Legislature: a physiotherapist, a medical student and a social worker at a city hall in Paraíba.
Motta ordered the dismissal of 2 of the 3 employees, physiotherapist Gabriela Pagidis and social worker Monique Magno, after being approached by the Sheet on July 8 to explain the case.
The third, then medical student Louise Lacerda, was kept in her position. She is the daughter of former councilor Marcílio Lacerda (Republicanos-PB), from the municipality of Conceição (PB). After three terms as a councilor, his father ran for mayor of the city in 2024. His uncle, Nilson de Lacerda, was mayor of Conceição and is a deputy state deputy, also for the Republicans. The president of the party in the state is Motta.
On October 10, the Sheet showed that the . In addition to her role as parliamentary secretary to the president of the Chamber, she was a doctor in the city halls of and Alhandra (PB), a city 40 km from the capital of Paraíba.
She was dismissed from Motta’s office after the Sheet question the president of the Chamber on the matter. Louise also reported that she had left Alhandra City Hall, but was unable to specify the date.
In addition to the three ghost employees, the Sheet also revealed that it is located in Serraria (PB), a city of 6,000 inhabitants, 131 km from João Pessoa and 225 km from.
He is one of ten employees from the parliamentarian’s office who signed documents authorizing his chief of staff to open bank accounts, move money, issue cards and withdraw salaries in their name. The powers of attorney.
Each deputy is entitled to a cabinet budget of R$133,000 per month to hire 5 to 25 parliamentary secretaries. They earn from R$1,584.10 to R$18,719.88, in addition to food assistance and other bonuses.
The work of these employees is governed by a law, acts and regulations that establish the type of work linked to parliamentary activity, the dedication regime, working hours and limitations on the exercise of other functions.
The act of the Board of the Chamber of Deputies 72, of 1997, states, in the first article, that the purpose of the position of parliamentary secretary is to provide “direct and exclusive” service in the offices to attend to parliamentary activities.
The website of the Chamber of Deputies lists “having an employment relationship with a private company and/or carrying out any activities in a place and time incompatible with exercising the position on a commission” as an impediment to holding the position.
Law 8,112, of 1990, which regulates the legal regime of public servants, prohibits employees from carrying out other activities, which includes private activities, “that are incompatible with the exercise of the position or function and with working hours”.
The annex to the act of Table 58, of 2010, establishes that the position of parliamentary secretary serves to “attend parliamentary activities”, without permission to deal with the deputy’s private issues.
The cases are reminiscent of , a ghost employee of the former president () when he was a federal deputy. She worked in an açaí store on the same street as the politician’s summer house.
The case went to court when the Public Prosecutor’s Office. “Such conduct, absolutely immoral and manifestly illicit, was repeatedly practiced for more than 15 years, only having ceased due to the negative repercussion, after publicity in the press, during the last electoral campaign”, wrote the organization.
Questions to Hugo Motta, President of the Chamber
Check out the questions sent by Folha about ghost employees in the office
– More than three months ago Sheet and other media outlets ask questions to Mr. about the existence of ghost employees in his office. Given the relevance and public interest involved, and given the fact that the case concerns one of the most important positions in the Republic, why would Mr. refuse to give public explanations about this case?
– The Constitution has among its pillars the principles of transparency and efficiency in public administration. Mr. Do you consider that your silence on a case of this magnitude, especially because you hold the position you hold, is in accordance with these principles?
– Why did your chief of staff, Ivanadja Velloso, have a power of attorney to operate employees’ current accounts? Mr. Were you aware of the investigation into the split involving your chief of staff?
– What were the exact functions carried out by Louise Lacerda, Monique Magno, Gabriela Pagidis and Ary Gustavo Soares in your office?
– How were they able to perform these functions even though they had other jobs? Mr. Could you provide evidence and proof of these functions performed?
– Considering that Ary Gustavo Soares is a caretaker on a farm owned by you, which is not permitted considering the public position in his name (act of the Board of the Chamber of Deputies 72, of 1997), why would you? Did you choose to allocate an employee from your office to a private role?
– The three employees who were the subject of the reports were only fired after Mr. be sought by Sheet. Mr. were you unaware of the situation? If not, what measures did you take in relation to those allegedly responsible, in your office, for these hires?
– Considering that the accumulation of positions is not permitted by the rules of the Chamber (art. 117, XVIII, and art. 118, § 2, of law no. 8,112/1990 and ruling 249/2005 of the TCU plenary), was there a refund to the public coffers of the amounts paid to these employees?
– Mr. hires several relatives of political allies in the cabinet. What’s the reason? Mr. Do you consider this practice compatible with good practices in public administration?
– There are cases where a relative of a politician was replaced by another relative of the same politician. Do these politicians have a permanent position in your office? If yes, for what reason?
