Prosecutor cites changes of career employees and “creation of a parallel entity”, in reference to the IBGE+ Foundation
The (Public Ministry at the Federal Court of Auditors) requested the removal of the presidency of the (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics).
According to the representation sent to the court, there are suspicions of irregularities in the running of the institute. The measures questioned include successive exchanges and dismissals of career public servants, in addition to the “creation of parallel entity” in reference to the IBGE+ Foundation.
Attorney Júlio Marcelo de Oliveira points out the occurrence of successive dismissals and replacements of career employees at IBGE, who would have been replaced by those occupying strategic technical roles.
According to him, there was also the appointment of recently hired employees, still on probation, for roles classified as highly technically complex. The information is from the portal .
Oliveira states that such situations suggest “a worrying institutional framework, with potential relevant legal repercussions”.
The representation mentions the attempt to create the IBGE+ Foundation, to seek private financing for the institution’s initiatives. The foundation was closed after a decision by the TCU (Federal Audit Court) that considered it irregular.
According to the court, which followed the understanding of the (Advocacia Geral da União), the foundation violated the competence attributed to the head of the Executive Branch to create bodies and entities in the federal public administration.
The prosecutor classifies the IBGE+ Foundation as “parallel entity” and states that its creation, “with possible raising of own resources and operations in sensitive areas of production and processing of official data, it cannot result from a merely administrative act of the Presidency” from IBGE.
O Poder360 He contacted IBGE by email to ask if he would like to comment on the representation of MPTCU. There was no response until the publication of this report. The text will be updated if a statement is sent to this digital newspaper.
TARGET OF DISSATISFACTION
Pochmann’s management has been questioned by career IBGE employees. At the end of January, the executive management of the (National Union of Workers in Federal Public Foundations of Geography and Statistics) to the special advisor of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, Alexandre Varela.
At the meeting, the union spoke of “open conflicts” arising from the Pochmann conduction of the organ. In addition to the creation of the IBGE+ Foundation, the union questioned the dismissal of Rebeca Palis, coordinator of National Accounts, on the eve of the release of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for 2025. At least 4 of the researcher’s employees.
Despite recognizing that the replacement of leadership positions is the prerogative of the president of the institute, the union defended that “such changes must necessarily prioritize the continuity of work programs and institutional preservation”.
Apart from the union, employees published, on January 20, a statement criticizing dismissals, removal of directors from their duties and practices of the IBGE presidency.
“Mr. Pochmann’s administrative conduct has been guided by authoritarian stances and disrespect for the technical staff of the house, culminating, on January 15, 2025, in the release of a statement to society to launch an unacceptable attack on the ethical integrity of employees and their union”, reads the letter, which has no direct relationship with the union, but was released spontaneously by IBGE technicians.
POCHMANN DENIED PERSECUTION
In an interview with Poder360 on February 10, Pochmann to employees at IBGE. He declared that disagreements about management are part of a democratic process and that job rotation does not interrupt the institute’s work.
According to him, IBGE is experiencing a “excellent moment”with a redirect “natural” to transform the Brazilian statistical system. He stated that the digital era requires changes in the body in a democratic regime and that this is the first time that there has been a transformation in the statistical system in a non-authoritarian period.
Asked about the dismissals of public employees, Pochmann replied that the IBGE continues to function and there is no persecution of workers.
“It has nothing to do with dismissals. People continue to work. IBGE has 1,911 positions of trust. It is the 2nd institution of the federal government with the highest number of positions of trust. There is a turnover, new people have entered. There is no persecution, absolutely nothing like that. People are misinformed”told the Poder360.
Pochmann’s statements, which stated that public servants were targets of administrative retaliation and institutional harassment for disagreeing with measures implemented in a “unilateral” by the current management.
“Despite presenting himself as a Democrat, the president has not received the union since 2024, ignores formal letters and requests for meetings, does not even know the elected national executive and frequently sends his replacement for institutional dialogues. There was also a veto on the use of the Horto space by the local union nucleus”declared the union.
