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Members of the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco) of the Public Ministry of the Federal District (MPDFT) comply, this Wednesday (3), with 16 search and seizure orders against a bribery scheme that aimed to reduce taxes on the aviation fuel in the federal capital. One of the objectives is the former president of the Chamber of Deputies. Eduardo Cunha.
A Operation Antonov It is carried out in 4 states – São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Goiás – and in Mexico City. Investigates crimes committed between 2012 and 2014 related to the payment of bribes directed at Nelson Tadeu Filippelli (then deputy governor of the Federal District) and Eduardo Cunha (then federal deputy), “with the objective of modifying district legislation to reduce the ICMS rate for aviation fuel,” reported the MPDFT.
After the legislative process of the bill of initiative of the Executive Power, it became District Law No. 5,095, of April 8, 2013, which modified Law No. 1,254 / 96 to, in practice, reduce the ICMS rate of kerosene from civil aviation from 25% to 12%.
According to investigations, there is evidence of bribery payments by airlines Goal me TAM.
The investigation was developed on the basis of an award agreement established between the Federal Public Ministry and the operator Lucio Bolonha Funaro. One of the addresses this Wednesday’s action points to is Cunha’s house, located in Barra da Tijuca, west of Rio de Janeiro.
The name of the operation refers to the Antonov NA-225, the world’s largest fixed-wing cargo plane, with a capacity for more than 360,000 kg of aviation kerosene.
Operation Antonov has the support of Gaecos from SP, RJ, ES and GO, the Center for Information Production, Analysis, Dissemination and Security (CI / MPDFT), the DF Civil Police (Cecor / DF) and the Coordination of Security and Intelligence of the MPRJ.
How Cunha and Filippelli would have received the bribe
Cunha would have received bribes through the company C3 Activities de Internet Ltda., Administered by his wife, Cláudia Cordeiro Cruz, or through transfers to companies linked to Funaro. This would have used the services of the money changers Cláudio (“Tony”), Vinicius (“Juca Bala”) and Carlos (“Tyson”) to get the money to the politician. Tony and Juca Bala were arrested in Operation Lava Jato.
Filippelli, on the other hand, would have received the undue advantages with the help of the operator Afrânio Roberto de Souza Filho, through the company Objetiva Consultoria e Participações Ltda., Managed by Afrânio Filho and his son, Afrânio Neto.
Investigations indicate that Filippelli would have used part of the fee to buy a commercial property in the city of Taguatinga (DF). It is believed that they were subsequently used by those investigated to “pay the capital stock of the company Lanciano Investimentos e Participações S / A, managed by his then-wife Célia Maria Pereira Ervilha Filippelli,” reported the MPDF.
Preliminary information also indicates that Gol’s businessman Henrique Constantino would have participated in the scheme, paying bribes to Cunha so that he could release a loan in Caixa Econômica Federal and exemption from the payroll of employees in the air and road sector, points out of interest of the airline.
Other side
Note from Ticiano Figueiredo, Pedro Ivo Velloso and Délio Lins e Silva, Cunha attorneys:
“Today’s operation is a return to the infamous period of accusatory pyrotechnics. There is no doubt that it is something politically manufactured, with the intention of unjust retaliation against someone who has been strictly complying with all the conditions imposed by the Justice when granting house arrest. No attempt was made even to conceal such illegality. The investigators themselves confess that the events, which have nothing to do with Eduardo Cunha, are old, they do not go beyond 2014. The defense of the former deputy trusts in the higher levels of the Judicial Power. to correct such illegality “.
The report attempted to contact Filippelli, but has yet to return.
Gol stated that he is not aware of the operation.
Latam Note:
“Latam has no information on this investigation. The company will collaborate with the competent authorities.”
(With information from Vianey Bentes and Teo Cury, from CNN, in Brasilia, Camille Couto, from CNN, in Rio de Janeiro, and Bianca Camargo, from CNN, in São Paulo)
