Barroso orders Senator Chico Rodrigues to leave office for 90 days | Politics

Barroso’s determination will be sent to the Senate, which has the last word on the removal of the parliamentarian.

The senator was the target of a Federal Police operation authorized by the STF and launched on Wednesday (14) in Roraima. During the searches, the politician was caught with money in underwear.

The Federal Police, on behalf of the STF, even requested the senator’s preventive detention, in addition to his dismissal. The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) protested the house arrest with electronic monitoring and the prohibition on Rodrigues to communicate with other investigators.

Barroso rejected both types of imprisonment, and defined only the removal of the mandate and the prohibition of communication between Rodrigues and those investigated.

The action of the PGR and the Federal Police sought to dismantle a millionaire scheme of embezzlement of public resources that should have gone to combat the new coronavirus. The alleged deviation involves more than R $ 20 million in parliamentary amendments. The Comptroller General of the Federation (CGU) is also participating in the investigation.

When deciding to leave, Minister Barroso points out the “concrete gravity” of the case and says that Rodrigues must be prevented from using the position to obstruct the investigations.

The specific gravity of the crimes investigated also indicates the need to guarantee public order: the senator would be using his parliamentary function to divert money destined to face the greatest pandemic of the last 100 years, at a time of severe scarcity of public resources and in that the country already has more than 150 thousand deaths from the disease, ”says Barroso.

For these reasons, I decree the removal of Senator Francisco de Assis Rodrigues (‘Chico Rodrigues’) from his elective mandate for a period of 90 days, with the possibility of renewal, if necessary, as well as the prohibition of contact with the other investigated until the completion of the survey, “says the document.

In a note released Wednesday, Chico Rodrigues stated that he is not involved in any illegal act.

The Federal Police told the STF that proof that Chico Rodrigues committed the crime of money laundering and shaming the investigation of a criminal organization.

And that, “if the person under investigation did not hold the mandate of senator of the Republic, there would be no doubt about his immediate arrest on the spot.”

“The money bills found in the body of the senator have no proven legal origin and it is very likely that they are the result of the crime of embezzlement committed by the surcharges investigated. These values, therefore, come from the activity ”, said the PF.

When deciding on the dismissal of Rodrigues, Minister Luís Roberto Barroso transcribed part of the Federal Police report on the operation this Wednesday. The text describes the seizure of money at the senator’s home in Boa Vista and the attempt to hide money in underwear.

“We continue to search the safe located in the room of Mr. Pedro Rodrigues, the senator’s son, in which no values ​​or documents related to the investigated events were found. However, at that time, Senator Chico Rodrigues asked delegate Wedson if he could go to the bathroom. Delegate Wedson said yes, but said he would accompany him, “says the PF report.

“At this time, Congressman Wedson noticed that there was a large volume, rectangular in shape, on the back of Senator Chico Rodrigues’ robe, who was wearing blue shorts (like pajamas) and a yellow shirt. Considering the volume and its shape, the Deputy Wedson suspected that the senator was hiding values ​​or even a cell phone, “the document continues.

The report goes on to say that, when asked about “volume,” Chico Rodrigues denied any wrongdoing. The deputy who commanded the search and seizure then decided to conduct a personal search of the senator. The action was filmed, but Barroso kept the video confidential.

“As shown in the images below, when making the personal search of Senator Chico Rodrigues, at first, bundles of money were found inside his underwear, near his buttocks, amounting to R $ 15,000, 00, as described in item 3 of the attached Detention Term, “says the PF report.

In the decision, Minister Barroso mentions that the PGR spoke out against the preventive detention decree, at the same time that he emphasized that the Constitution does not prohibit the imposition of other precautionary measures.

The PGR also argued, according to Barroso’s order, on the “prior need for proceedings that indicate the connection of material of illicit origin found with the activities of the Parliamentarian.”