The leader of the Chamber, (RJ), this Friday (19), stated that he suffers persecution because he is from the right and that the cash found at his address was due to the sale of a property.
The PF also complied against the deputy (PL-RJ). Both are allies of the former president (PL). At an address linked to the PL leader, the PF seized around R$430,000 in cash.
In an interview with the press, Sóstenes said that the investigation “has no connection whatsoever” and “is another chapter in the persecution” against Bolsonaro.
“It’s not enough to arrest an innocent person. They want to cleanse and extirpate the strength that the right and the conservatives have, trying to stain us with their mud, which is corruption. […] If they thought we were going to back down, they knocked on the wrong door. We will remain firm,” he said.
Sóstenes also stated that he was surprised that the operation took place just a few days after the senator (PL-RJ) had launched himself as a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic.
Regarding the R$430,000 in cash, Sóstenes says that he sold a property in Minas Gerais, last week, that the buyer wanted to pay him in cash and that he has not deposited the funds yet because of “this rush of work”.
“I ended up not making a deposit, but I would have. In fact, part of it, I’ve been thinking about doing other business and everything, I ended up not making the deposit”, he replied. “The property was paid to me with legal money, it is sealed, it has origins, so I have nothing to fear.”
The deputy also said that the property is declared in his Income Tax and that he could later disclose the documents. He did not clarify whether the assets were registered in his name or in the name of a family member nor was he able to specify the date of purchase.
Initially, he responded to journalists that he acquired the property in 2020, but the asset does not appear in the declaration he sent to the Electoral Court in the 2022 election. He later corrected himself and said that the purchase took place after the election.
“I don’t know the exact date. […] I don’t remember the date of purchase and sale. I have to pass this on to you, I will pass it on in due course, ok?”, he declared.
The seven warrants, authorized by the minister of the (Supreme Federal Court), are fulfilled in the Federal District and Rio de Janeiro. The PF operation, called Galho Fraco, does not take place in the parliamentary offices of Sóstenes and Jordy in Brasília.
The objective of the operation is to deepen investigations into embezzlement of public resources from parliamentary quotas, according to the corporation.
The parliamentary quota is a monthly amount that the deputy receives to cover expenses incurred during the term of office, such as office rental in the state, airline tickets and car rental, among others.
The suspicion expressed by the police in the case files is that a car rental company hired by the deputies and paid through the parliamentary quota continued to receive money even after being irregularly dissolved.
Regarding rental cars, Sóstenes said he does not deal with the issue directly, but his cabinet staff does. Against the accusation that he launders money through the rental contract, the leader stated that he actually uses the car and that it is enough to verify this through the House’s cameras.
“I rented from this rental company [investigada]. I imagine that now I have a car from another rental company. Because this company, last year, when there was a search and seizure, it seems that there were few cars, as is the investigation, it ended its work for that reason”, he said.
“I challenge anyone to find a Corolla to rent in Brasília for the amount I pay. I pay the lowest amount from the Chamber”, he added.
The leader also dealt with the movement in his driver’s account, which would be R$11 million, and stated that his assistant has two other businesses, selling drinks and selling stores.
“I don’t like exposing people, but how do I want you to [jornalistas] can go to my driver’s house and see where he lives, the standard of living he has, and see if R$4,300, if it were some kind of illicit transaction, would solve this problem.”
