The senator and leader of the opposition in the Senate, Rogério Marinho (PL-RN), said in a note this Thursday (18) that the “corruption is in the PT’s DNA”. The declaration was due to the 9th phase of Operation Compliance Zero held at the home of senator Jaques Wagner (PT-BA).
The Operation, which investigates irregularities involving Banco Master, found US$49,000 in a hotel room linked to the senator in Brasília. A seizure of the amount in cash exceeds the limit of any amount above US$ 20 thousand stipulated to be collected by minister André Mendonçaof the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and rapporteur of the case at the Supreme Court.
In the note, Marinho says that the Master case started at PT da Bahia. “Augusto Lima’s business trajectory is linked to economic structures developed in Bahia during the PT government of Rui Costa, with the privatization of EBAL (CREDCESTA), with Wagner as Secretary of Economic Development and one of those responsible for the operation”, he declared.
The senator concluded by saying that trusts in “serene, technical and impartial” driving of the case’s rapporteur, Minister André Mendonça of the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
PF operation
In addition to the parliamentarian, the PF also carried out searches of companies and residences in Augusto Limaowner of Banco Pleno and former partner of Daniel Vorcaro in Bahia. He was responsible for implementing it in Bahia, while Wagner was governor, a credit system for public servants that was later taken to the Master. Credcesta constituted the bank’s main financial asset.
In total, federal police officers carry out 18 search and seizure warrants, issued by the Federal Supreme Court, in the states of Bahia, São Paulo and the Federal District. Various precautionary measures relating to the prison are also being enforced, such as a ban on contact between those being investigated and suspension of passports. The facts investigated may characterize, in theory, the crimes of passive corruption, active corruption and money laundering.
It is worth remembering that Augusto Lima was arrested in the first phase of Compliance Zero, in November last year, but was released by the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region (TRF-1) and was not targeted in other phases. The PF’s suspicion is that he also participated in the fraudulent operation of selling Master to Banco Regional de Brasília (BRB).
