Senator with money in underwear: what is known and what remains to be clarified | Politics

Since March 2019, Rodrigues has served as vice president of Jair Bolsonaro’s government in the Senate. However, given the repercussions of the investigation, he left office on Thursday (15). The congressman is also part of the National Congress commission created to monitor the use of public money to combat the pandemic.

See what is known and what remains to be clarified on the following issues:

1. What is the investigation the senator is involved in?
2. What are the suspicions against Senator Chico Rodrigues?
3. How was the operation that seized the money in the senator’s underwear?
4. What is the origin of the money seized from the senator?
5. What does Chico Rodrigues say about suspicions?
6. What happened to the senator after he was caught with money in his underwear?
7. What is the senator’s relationship with the government of Jair Bolsonaro?

1. What is the investigation the senator is involved in?

The investigation of the Federal Police and the General Comptroller’s Office of the Union (CGU) investigates deviations of around R $ 20 million in parliamentary amendments aimed at combating the new coronavirus pandemic in Roraima.

According to the PF, a criminal group made up of politicians, officials and businessmen manipulated bids to hire certain companies by the State Health Secretariat (Sesau) of Roraima. CGU identified signs of overpricing and overpricing in the contracts made by the portfolio in the purchase of items such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and rapid detection tests for Covid-19.

As the senator has a privileged forum, all mandates carried out by the PF had to be authorized by the STF. The investigation is pending confidentiality and is under the report of Minister Luís Roberto Barroso.

The minister indicates that the investigation arose from a complaint from a former employee of the Department of Health who organized the scheme and, when he was fired, he sought out the Federal Police.

Of the R $ 16 million sent by the Union to Roraima to deal with the pandemic, at least R $ 2.56 million was disbursed above what is necessary in overpriced contracts, says the CGU.

According to Barroso, there was an agreement signed by the group for a certain company to supply the government of Roraima, already during the pandemic, batches of 65% alcohol, a product that is not effective in combating the coronavirus.

Instead of a new offer, the Department of Health made an amendment to the contract signed six years earlier, in 2014, when Chico Rodrigues was governor of the state.

2. What are the suspicions against Senator Chico Rodrigues?

According to the investigation, there are indications that the senator used his political influence to favor private companies linked to him during the bidding processes that were carried out in the pandemic. The scheme, according to the PF, had the presence of politicians, businessmen and officials.

“The senator personally maintained, via message request, suspicious contacts with the complainant responsible for contracts with the state health agency, with indications that he had exercised his political power to obtain the dismissal and appointment of the state health secretaries, to determine the renewal of administrative contracts without bidding and payment of orders to companies directly or indirectly linked to them “, says a report on the investigation delivered to the Federal Supreme Court (STF).

3. How was the operation that seized the money in the senator’s underwear?

The operation was carried out on October 14 and seven search and seizure warrants were carried out at the homes of Boa Vista (RR). The action was only launched after it had already been executed. One of the orders was carried out at the home of Chico Rodrigues.

The PF suspects the senator slipped the money into his underwear after the officers arrived. In total, the deputy hid R $ 33,150 in private parts. The amount was found after one of the officers identified “a large rectangular-shaped volume on the back of the senator’s robe.”

Suspicious, the deputy made a personal search and found R $ 15 thousand. The amount was “inside your underwear, near your buttocks.”

The senator was asked three times if there were still more amounts left in kind. In the last one, very angry, Chico Rodrigues “reached into his underwear and took out other bundles of money” that totaled R $ 17.9 thousand. The other 250 reales were seized in the last personal search.

In addition to the amount of the underwear, R $ 10,000 and US $ 6,000 were seized in a safe in the senator’s room. The PF also found an unregistered weapon and ammunition of various calibers in his home.

4. What is the origin of the money seized from the senator?

According to the PF, the senator could not explain the origin of the seized securities. Before the Supreme Court, the corporation said there was evidence of money laundering and that the parliamentarian’s insistent attempts to hide the notes were intended to hinder the investigations.

However, the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation (PGR) assessed that it is not yet possible to prove the relationship between the amounts seized and the crimes investigated.

5. What does Chico Rodrigues say about suspicions?

The senator has denied all the accusations and affirms that they are not related to any illicit act. In a note released on Thursday (15), the parliamentarian said: “I repeat, throughout my 30 years of public life, I have dedicated my life to the people of Roraima and Brazil, and I will continue firmly towards the development of my nation.”

“Believing in the truth, I have confidence in justice, and I say that soon everything will be clarified and I will show that I have nothing to do with any illegal act of any kind. I believe in the guidelines used to manage the great leader and president of Brazil , Jair Messias Bolsonaro. Our nation, “he said.

6. What happened to the senator after he was caught with money in his underwear?

After the PF operation, Chico Rodrigues’ tenure as vice president of government in the Senate became unsustainable. The senator asked to leave office and his departure was made official by President Jair Bolsonaro in the early hours of the afternoon on Thursday (15). Rodrigues has held the position since March 2019.

The Federal Police and the PGR even asked the Federal Supreme Court to arrest the senator and remove him from office. The FP understood that preventive detention was necessary. The Public Ministry, for its part, manifested itself in house arrest with electronic monitoring and the prohibition of Rodrigues from communicating with other investigators.

Barroso rejected both types of incarceration and defined only a 90-day term and a prohibition on communication between Rodrigues and those investigated. However, the determination made by the minister still needs the approval of the Senate.

The minister made public only the decision that determined the removal of the senator, the investigation remains confidential. By order of Barroso, the videos of the seizure of the money found in the parliamentarian’s underwear must be kept in the PF’s safe.

In addition to the determination of the STF minister, the political parties presented a representation in the Senate Ethics Council on Friday (16) to revoke the mandate of Chico Rodrigues.

The Democrats, Chico Rodrigues’ party, also said they had decided to the Legal Department of the legend to follow “closely” the progress of the investigation that involves the senator.

“We are attentive to all the details of the investigation and, if there is evidence of the practice of illegal acts by the parliamentarian, the National Executive will apply the disciplinary sanctions provided in the party’s Statute,” the party said.

7. What is the senator’s relationship with the government of Jair Bolsonaro?

In a video circulating on social media, President Jair Bolsonaro tells the senator that the two had “an almost stable union.” Bolsonaro’s sentence was a response to the fact that Rodrigues mentioned in the video that the two were friends in the Chamber of Deputies for more than 20 years.

Both Bolsonaro and Rodrigues were federal deputies. The video does not identify the date it was recorded. The image shows Bolsonaro and Rodrigues in an office, with a Brazilian flag and another from the state of São Paulo in the background. The two are sitting next to each other.

After the senator was caught with money in underwear, Bolsonaro said Thursday that he regrets the misuse of health resources. Bolsonaro discussed the case with supporters at the door of the Alvora Palace and then made the conversation known on social media.

“Now, the CGU is watching. Our Federal Police is watching and we make decisions. I regret the misuse of resources, it would be good if there weren’t because after all, when health resources are diverted, innocent people die”, said the president. .

Bolsonaro also said that the fact that Rodrigues was vice president does not mean that the government does not fight corruption. “Part of the press is accusing me that the guy is my friend. I put him as deputy director, that’s why I am, and I don’t have that, I don’t fight corruption,” he said.

“Let it be very clear. This FP operation yesterday [quarta]Like half of the operations, they are in conjunction with the CGU, whose minister is Captain Wagner Rosário ”, the president completed.

Chico Rodrigues also employs Bolsonaro’s nephew, Leonardo Rodrigues de Jesus, known as Léo Índio in his office. He has a position on a parliamentary advisory committee and, in September, he received a gross salary of R $ 22,943. However, on Thursday (15), the official requested the resignation of the position.

Watch videos about Senator Chico Rodrigues