Because of her, we lost BRL 12 billion in private investments in 2011 – the equivalent of R$ 1.2 thousand paid annually for each Brazilian worker. Discover the most notorious cases of the last 20 years*
10. Give me some money there
CASE: tax mafia
BREAK: BRL 18 million
WHEN: 1998 and 2008
WHERE: Chamber of Councilors and Public Servants of São Paulo.
Merchants and street vendors (even those licensed to work) were put against the wall: if they didn’t pay bribes, they suffered threats, such as having their goods seized and construction projects embargoed. The first scandal erupted in 1998, during the government of Celso Pitta. Ten years later, a new complaint gave rise to Operation Rapa.
9. Look at this allowance!
CASE: Mensalão
BREAK: BRL 55 million
WHEN: 2005
WHERE: Federal Chamber
According to ex-federal deputy Roberto Jefferson, accused of involvement in postal fraud, politicians allied with the PT received R$ 30,000 a month to vote in accordance with the interests of the Lula government. Of the 40 involved, only three deputies were impeached. The final bill was estimated at R$55 million, but it could have been much higher.
8. Follow that ambulance
CASE: leech
BREAK: BRL 140 million
WHEN: 2006
WHERE: Municipalities and National Congress
Investigations showed that the owners of the company Planam paid bribes to parliamentarians in exchange for amendments intended for the purchase of ambulances, which were overpriced by up to 260%. Government members acted in city halls so that companies linked to Planam won bids. None of the three senators and 70 federal deputies involved in the case lost their mandate.
7. Poor Amazon
CASE: Sudam
BREAK: BRL 214 million
WHEN: 1998 and 1999
WHERE: Federal Senate and Union
Directors of the Amazon Development Superintendence embezzled money through false tax documents and contracts for goods and services. Of the 143 defendants, only one was convicted and is appealing the sentence. Jader Barbalho, accused of being one of the pivots of the scheme, resigned as senator, but was re-elected in 2011.
6. Razor in the meat
CASE: Operation Razor
BREAK: BRL 610 million
WHEN: 2007
WHERE: Municipalities, Chamber of Deputies and Ministry of Mines and Energy
Operating in nine states and the Federal District, businessmen linked to Construtora Gautama paid bribes to public servants to facilitate bids for works. Even projects linked to the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) and the Luz Para Todos Program were defrauded. All 46 arrested by the Federal Police were released.
5. Winning ticket
CASE: Budget dwarves
LEAK: BRL 800 million
WHEN: From 1989 to 1992
WHERE: National Congress
Seven deputies (the so-called “dwarfs”) of the Congressional Budget Committee made law amendments remitting money to philanthropic entities linked to relatives and charged bribes from contractors for the inclusion of funds in large works. The illegal money laundering method became famous: the successive bets on the lottery by Deputy João Alves.
4. Where is the forum?
CASE: Sao Paulo TRT
BREAK: BRL 923 million
WHEN: From 1992 to 1999
WHERE: Regional Labor Court of São Paulo
Grupo OK, owned by former senator Luiz Estevão, lost the bid for the construction of the São Paulo Labor Forum. The winner, Incal Alumínio, gave the rights to businessman Fabio Monteiro de Barros. But an investigation showed that Fabio transferred millions to the OK Group, with the endorsement of Nicolau dos Santos Neto, Lalau, former president of TRT-SP.
3. Comrade price
CASE: Marka bank
BREAK: BRL 1.8 billion
WHEN: 1999
WHERE: central bank
With shady agreements, Banco Marka, owned by Salvatore Cacciola, managed to buy dollars from the Central Bank at a price cheaper than the adjusted one. A CPI proved the damage to public coffers, in addition to accusing the BC leadership of influence peddling, among other crimes. Cacciola was arrested in 2000, fled to Italy in the same year and, arrested in Monaco in 2008, returned to Brazil deported.
2. Summon Van Helsing
CASE: Health Vampires
BREAK: BRL 2.4 billion
WHEN: From 1990 to 2004
WHERE: Ministry of Health
Businessmen, employees and lobbyists of the Ministry of Health embezzled public money by defrauding bids for the purchase of blood derivatives used in the treatment of hemophiliacs. Bribes were paid to the General Coordination of Logistical Resources, which commanded the Ministry’s purchases, and prices (well above market values) were agreed beforehand. All 17 prisoners have already left jail.
1. Send it out
CASE: banished
BREAK: BRL 42 billion
WHEN: From 1996 to 2000
WHERE: Paraná
For four years, around US$ 24 billion were illegally remitted from the former Banestado (Bank of the State of Paraná) out of the country through accounts of residents abroad, the so-called CC5 accounts. An investigation by the Federal Police discovered that the fraudulent remittances were made through 91 common checking accounts, opened in the name of “oranges”. The fraud would be known to bank managers and directors. 684 employees were denounced – 97 were sentenced to sentences of up to four years in prison. The state obtained a return on tax collection of approximately R$ 20 billion.
Sources: Andre Carraro, professor at the economics department at the Federal University of Pelotas and specialist in corruption, Corruption Museum, Comptroller General of the Union, NGO Transparência Brasil, Consultor Jurídico website, Folha de S.Paulo It is The State of São Paulo