Investigated under , wife of minister Alexandre de Moraes, Federal Revenue administrative agent Ruth Machado dos Santos stated in a statement to the Federal Police that she was in person at the time the information was accessed.
The suspicion that led to the operation that placed an electronic ankle bracelet on her is that data about Viviane had been accessed in August last year, in Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo. The information was initially released by the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo and confirmed by Sheet.
When contacted, Ruth’s defense denies that she had accessed the data. “The professional does not have any political-party ties, history of activism or ideological commitment that could, even in theory, suggest motivation of a political nature”, says a note from lawyer Diego Scarpa.
“The defense is confident that the investigation of the facts will occur with serenity, responsibility and respect for the constitutional guarantees of due legal process, ensuring full defense and contradictory proceedings. We are convinced that, in the end, it will be demonstrated that the public servant did not commit a criminal offense”, states the defense.
By order of Moraes, the PF complied on Tuesday (17) in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, as part of an investigation investigating possible data leaks from the Federal Revenue Service involving ministers of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) and their relatives.
The targets of the operation worked in the IRS. In addition to Ruth, measures were determined against Luiz Antônio Martins Nunes (a server at Serpro, a state-owned data processing company, which was assigned to the tax authorities), Luciano Pery Santos Nascimento and Ricardo Mansano de Moraes.
A note from the STF stated that initial investigations demonstrate the existence of an “access block whose analysis, by the responsible areas, did not identify a functional justification”.
Social security technician, according to the Transparency Portal, Ruth joined the public service in April 1994 and works at a Federal Revenue station in the city on the coast of São Paulo, with a salary of R$11,700. She is currently an administrative agent.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OPERATION
1. Nature of the investigation
In the note released about the case, the STF did not detail which data was leaked, from which people, nor the date of the leaks.
2. Competence of Minister Alexandre de Moraes
If the minister, who heads the fake news inquiry, and his family members, were the target of leaks, there is a risk of conflict of interest
3. Jurisdiction of the STF
Federal Revenue employees do not have privileged jurisdiction. Experts question whether the case should not be in the first instance
4. Use of the fake survey news
The investigation into the leaks was included in the 2019 inquiry, which has already received several criticisms for having served as broad investigations with no deadline for completion.
5. Timing of operation
The operation took place before the Federal Revenue concluded the survey of undue access to confidential data of ministers and their families
6. Exhibition of suspects
Although the investigation is under secrecy, the names of the suspects were released by the STF, as Moraes usually does. In a similar case, in 2019, servers involved in a suspected data leak ended up being reincorporated
7. Relationship with complaints involving the Bank Master
The investigation takes place after reports revealed businesses belonging to Dias Toffoli’s family and the million-dollar contract from the office of minister Alexandre de Moraes’ wife. There is no official confirmation that the leak is linked to these cases
