The TCE-RJ (State Audit Court) recommended this Monday (1st) the rejection of the government’s accounts () for 2025. By 3 votes to 1, it points out flaws in the state’s balance sheet numbers, including in Rioprevidência, the target of the investigation.
The report will now be sent to the Legislative Assembly, which will decide on the approval or rejection of the former governor’s accounts.
In a statement, Castro’s office said that the former governor regrets that the court’s decision contradicted “previous statements by the court’s technical staff and the Public Ministry of Accounts, which had issued a favorable opinion.”
“During the entire period in which he was in charge of the state government, Cláudio Castro had all his accounts approved by the court itself. The former governor reaffirms that his administration always acted with transparency, fiscal responsibility and respect for institutions”, said the former governor’s advisor.
According to the vote of councilor José Gomes Graciosa, Rioprevidência’s balance sheet did not consider the possible losses of investments made in , estimated at almost R$2 billion.
The advisor also pointed out flaws in the classification of contributions made to Mirai Asset funds (R$2.6 billion) and Genial bank (R$1.7 billion).
“The audit showed that there are important problems in the way some values were classified in Rioprevidência’s balance sheet,” he stated.
An overvaluation of R$823 million was also highlighted between the cash availability presented in the government’s tax reports compared to that reported by banking institutions.
“The recurrence of these divergences, already recorded in audits from previous years, highlights the structural fragility in internal controls relating to cash management”, declared Graciosa.
The winning vote indicated five irregularities and 12 improprieties in Castro’s accounts.
Councilor Rodrigo Melo do Nascimento had voted last week to send a preliminary opinion for approval with reservations.
The counselors also ordered special audits of tax benefits granted by the state, especially in favor of the Refit Group, linked to businessman Ricardo Magro. The PF is also investigating the relationship between the company and Castro’s activities in the state.
The former governor said, in a note, that all Rioprevidência operations “followed the technical flows of the autarchy, rules of the National Monetary Council and governance rules of the social security regime.”
“When questions arose, the government itself determined investigation and control measures, including action by the State Comptroller General, removal of the presidency of Rioprevidência and actions to protect the assets of employees”, declared Castro’s advisor, in a note.
In relation to the Manguinho refinery, the statement states that “all management actions also complied with technical and legal criteria”.
“It is important to remember that it was during the Cláudio Castro government that the company began to pay historical debts with the state, in amounts close to R$1 billion, in addition to several collection actions filed by the State Attorney General’s Office”, declared the former governor’s advisor.
Castro is the target of PF investigations for his relations with Magro and the former banker, owner of Banco Master. He denies the suspicions.
After being the target of two PF operations within an interval of 11 days, the former governor withdrew his pre-candidacy for the Senate.
