Breno Chaves Pinto is being investigated for influence peddling and fraud in works in Amapá; President of the Senate denies connection with the case
The Federal Police (PF) indicted businessman Breno Chaves Pinto by involvement in the case of bidding targeting of the Department of Infrastructure and Transport (Dnit) in Amapá. Keys is second substitute for senator Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), president of the Senate. The indictment was reported by the newspaper O Globo.
According to the newspaper, the Federal Police concluded an investigation that investigated signs of fraud in Dnit competitions in the state of Alcolumbre. The businessman was indicted for the crimes of criminal association, influence peddling e active corruption.
Marcello Linhares, regional superintendent of Dnit in Amapá, was also indicted. He is accused of criminal association, breach of functional secrecy e bid fraud.
When contacted by the newspaper, the businessman’s defense said he would only speak out after having access to the PF’s final report. Alcolumbre, through a note, said that has no relation to business activity of his deputy. Linhares declined to comment.
In July last year, the PF launched an operation to investigate fraud at the Dnit in Macapá. The investigators maintained that Breno Pinto used the senator’s name to divert resources in bids.
According to the PF, the businessman engaged in influence peddling – “influenced the acts of a public agent” to “obtain undue advantages”. As the police did not find Alcolumbre’s participation, the case was kept in the Federal Court of Amapá.
“Breno is considered a central figure in the criminal scheme, operating as an active agent of institutional interference in the Dnit-AP. He took advantage of his political influence (second deputy to senator Davi Alcolumbre) and his personal relationship with Superintendent Marcello Vieira Linhares”, wrote the federal judge who authorized the search and seizure of the businessman’s documents last year.
Breno Pinto is 39 years old and is from Imperatriz, Maranhão, and ran for an elected position for the first time in 2022. Among the more than R$8.5 million declared by him to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) that year, R$7.3 million refers to equity interests in three companies.
Breno is a motorcycle racer, and won the national motorcycle title in the GP 1000 Open category in 2023.
PF investigations indicate that he used his proximity to the president of the Senate to, under the pretext of influencing the acts of a public agent, obtain undue advantageswhich constitutes, in theory, the crime of influence peddling.
As Estadão showed, Alcolumbre sent R$9 million from the secret budget for a project in the municipality of Santana (AP) carried out by the Breno contractor. In 2022, the same construction company was investigated by the PF on suspicion of overpricing in road work in Amapá, and the senator’s deputy was the target of a search and seizure.
With the conclusion of the investigation, the Federal Court of Amapá must forward the case to the Federal Public Ministry, which is responsible for deciding whether further investigations are necessary, or whether it is now possible to propose criminal action against the businessman.
The case brings together documents collected by the PF as messages exchanged between Alcolumbre’s substitute and the Dnit leader in Amapá. The two dealt with tenders from the federal agency responsible for works on federal roads.
According to O Globo, the PF found dialogues in which the Dnit superintendent asked Breno Pinto to press for the release of federal resources activating Alcolumbre. In the conversation, Linhares asks the businessman to speak to the president of the Senate and “put pressure on the government to release our commitments”.
In October 2023, Linhares spoke with the businessman to thank him for the release of resources based on negotiations “by our senator”.
Read the full note from the President of the Senate:
“The advice of the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, clarifies that the senator has no relationship with the business activities of his second deputy, nor does he interfere in the hiring of companies or in administrative decisions of the DNIT, which are exclusively the responsibility of the responsible bodies.
Davi Alcolumbre is only responsible for his own actions, having no responsibility for allegations, private conversations, conduct attributed to third parties or supposed references to his name, without proof of improper conduct.
The report itself recognizes that there is no indication of Senator Davi’s participation in the alleged irregularities being investigated.
If any deviation is identified in the investigation conducted by the competent authorities, President Davi Alcolumbre defends that those involved are strictly held accountable in accordance with the law.”
