Federal Police question lawmakers about Lira's maneuver to release amendments.

247 - The Federal Police will hear testimony this week from parliamentarians regarding a possible irregularity committed by the former president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), to release R$4,2 billion in amendments. This Tuesday (11), Senator Cleitinho Azevedo (Republicanos-MG) will be heard. Last week, deputies José Rocha (União-BA) and Adriana Ventura (Novo-SP) were heard. The information is from CNN Brazil.

An inquiry opened by Minister Flávio Dino of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) seeks to determine whether Lira manipulated the budget, interfering in committee amendments, hindering transparency, and benefiting his electoral base. The investigation gained momentum after public statements by parliamentarians raised suspicions about a possible "maneuver" by the former Speaker of the House.

According to CNN sources, the testimonies of parliamentarians have been one of the first steps taken by the Federal Police to clarify the facts. Congresswoman Adriana Ventura, for example, reported the lack of a collegial deliberation on committee amendments, pointing out that the decisions "came from above," without effective discussions in the committees. In an interview with Piauí magazine, the congresswoman stated: "The list arrives ready-made, the committee president signs it, and that's it. This is not deliberated in the committee, that's what I know."

The other parliamentarians heard also made public statements that, according to Minister Dino, raise serious questions about the constitutionality of the amendment distribution process. The case has generated considerable attention, especially because it involves criticism from parliamentarians of different political ideologies, which caught the minister's attention. "This is not a normal exercise of institutional autonomy or a healthy celebration of political pacts," Dino stated regarding the context of the investigation.

Another central point of the investigation is the possible involvement of lobbyists in the allocation of parliamentary amendments. The Federal Police intends to clarify to what extent these external agents may have influenced the distribution of resources. Senator Cleitinho Azevedo, who will testify this Tuesday, had already given indications of possible misappropriation of funds in previous statements.

In light of the reports and allegations, Minister Flávio Dino ordered the suspension of payments for the amendments, after the Supreme Court received nine petitions reporting irregularities in the process. The Federal Police are also questioning the "internal procedure" for allocating these amendments and how it may have been manipulated.

Although Arthur Lira's name has not yet been directly mentioned in the investigation, the Federal Police state that the dynamics of the distribution of the amendments are part of a context of "theoretically criminal practices" within the Chamber of Deputies. In response to the accusations, the former Speaker of the House defended himself, stating that the Supreme Court's rulings were being followed and that the amendments underwent a "rigorous analysis criterion" by the federal government.