Governor states that the group accumulates R$9.6 billion in active debt and used offshore companies and money transfers to hide assets; operation targets more than 50 targets to try to recover resources
The value of fraud committed by people and companies investigated in Operation Poço de Lobato, linked to , reached R$ 350 million per month, according to the governor of , (Republicans). “It’s as if we took away one medium-sized hospital from the population per month,” he said, during a press conference.
Tarcísio added that the operation “was born out of non-compliance with the debts of persistent debtors” and highlighted that the Refit Group has R$9.6 billion registered in the active debt of the State of São Paulo, with R$6 billion declared by the group itself and the remainder linked to infraction notices. “He declares that he owes it and doesn’t pay,” he said.
The governor stated that the government tried to recover tax money through debt enforcement actions, but that the group “never had any assets”. This led the authorities to ask for the legal entity to be disregarded, with the aim of “seeing all the links” involved in the fraud, according to Tarcísio. “Today we have more than 50 individuals and legal entities targeted by operations, which seek to block resources and give access to the stolen money,” he added.
Tarcísio also criticized the questions regarding the special tax regime adopted by the São Paulo government, which requires gas stations and distributors to collect tax at source, during the purchase of fuel.
“Usually there was a shell distributor associated with an investment fund, from that fund the money was transferred offshore, the money went abroad, oranges were used. The state always had difficulty reaching debtors”, said the governor. “The State Revenue Service was trying to close the paths, instituting special tax regimes to reach the station that is purchasing the fuel that is fraudulent. Sometimes these special regimes were questioned in court. Not long ago we were at the Federal Supreme Court to overturn a judicial decision that went against a special tax regime in São Paulo”, he stated.
And he added: “With no collection at the refinery, they started charging at distributors and stations. You cannot buy fraudulent fuel. This is the logic of the special regime established here.”
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
Published by Nícolas Robert
