After senator Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF) released the list of churches and pastors investigated by the INSS CPMI, pastor André Valadão, one of the names mentioned, defined the investigation of fraud as an “invention” and “slanderous persecution”. Leader of Lagoinha Global, the religious man also stated that the investigations are not just an “attack” against him, “but on the entire church”.
— My name being mentioned in this CPMI is proof of unfounded and slanderous persecution. I am the president of Lagoinha Global, I live in the United States. And then a church, in Brazil, has a random member investigated. They take over the church to try to defame it and portray it as a criminal institution — criticized the pastor, this Wednesday, on social media.
Valadão was the subject of a request for breach of confidentiality and was also invited to appear before the parliamentary committee. He criticized the author of the requests, federal deputy Rogério Correia (PT-MG), stated that he will sue him and said that “PT members try to destroy the reputation of those who oppose their ideologies”.
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— These are people who want to destroy the credibility of Christian leaders. This brings religious persecution — he countered. — Rogério Correia said such unfounded things that, for those of us who know PT members, leftists, we don’t need to say what kind of person he is. Coming from him, it’s the same thing as coming from a cockroach, from a crazy “leftist” — attacked Valadão.
Another name mentioned in the commission is Fabiano Zettel. He was the target of the second phase of Operation Compliance Zero, at the beginning of this month, for alleged links to fraud at Banco Master. Brother-in-law of Daniel Vorcaro, owner of the institution, he is pastor of Lagoinha Belvedere, in Belo Horizonte, but was removed from “any activity of a ministerial nature” by the church after the investigations.
‘Damares took the bait’
The religious leader also claimed to have spoken to Damares, and claimed to have told the senator that she “took the bait from the leftists”. On January 13, the parliamentarian declared that the commission has been under pressure from people and institutions who seek to hinder the investigations because they have identified “big pastors” and “big churches” as part of the scheme.
The statement was promptly refuted by Bolsonaro pastor Silas Malafaia, leader of the Assembly of God Vitória em Cristo, who called it “tongue-in-cheek” for exposing the connection between religious people and fraud “without giving names”. He also publicly demanded that Damares release the list, which the senator did hours later.
—Either you give the names or you are a frivolous tongue-tied woman — said the pastor. — If Satan and the wicked who hate us were not enough to slander us, someone so-called evangelical comes and brings a complaint of this gravity without naming names? Please keep your tongue and, if you don’t have the names, shut up. If so, report it for the good of the evangelical church — said Malafaia, in a video published on social media.
Even after the release, however, the pastor accused the senator of contradiction for stating that the parliamentarian had made “unfounded” accusations by using the plural when mentioning “large churches” and “renowned leaders”. According to him, the names published would not fit these characteristics. To GLOBO, Damares responded to the criticism:
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— Malafaia needs to pray a little. I do not submit my parliamentary actions to him. In addition to the institutions that I disclosed, there are also mentions in the CPI of the Assembly of God of Amazonas. However, the institution has already provided the requested data, which is under analysis — he states.
Find out who the names on the list are
Churches:
- Adoração Church — Target of breach of confidentiality request;
- Igreja Assembly de Deus Ministério do Renovo — Target of request for breach of confidentiality;
- Deus é Fiel Church Ministry — Target of breach of confidentiality request;
- Campo de Anatote Evangelical Church — Target of breach of confidentiality request.
Shepherds:
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- Cesar Belucci — Invited to attend CPMI;
- André Machado Valadão — Invited to appear at CPMI and subject to a request for breach of confidentiality;
- Péricles Albino Gonçalves — Invited to attend CPMI;
- Fabiano Campos Zettel — Invited to attend CPMI;
- André Fernandes — Invited to attend CPMI.
