How did Cavendish manage to shield himself in the CPI?
Simply put: all it took was planting threats in Veja magazine; this week, a report in the magazine reveals that several construction companies used the same network of front companies as Delta; among them, there's even one that won one of the recent airport auctions.
247 - One question is puzzling the country: why haven't the members of the Cachoeira case CPI yet approved the summons of contractor Fernando Cavendish, owner of Delta? Furthermore, why did rapporteur Odair Cunha (PT/MG) and deputies Paulo Teixeira (PT/SP) and Cândido Vaccarezza (PT/SP) act so decisively to prevent the testimony from taking place two weeks ago?
The answer lies in the threats that Cavendish has been able to plant in the press. More specifically in Veja magazine. This week, it happened once again. And in a blatant way in the report "The Phantom Treasury," written by Rodrigo Rangel and Daniel Pereira.
The text names seven companies, registered under front men, that received R$ 93 million from Delta between 2008 and 2010. These companies are: Power To Tem Engenharia, SP Terraplenagem, Soterra Terraplenagem, SB Serviços de Terraplenagem, JSM Engenharia, WS Serviços de Terraplenagem, and BW Serviços de Terraplenagem.
The report has a section that clearly shows Cavendish's fingerprints. It is as follows:
“All the contractors hired the same shell companies. We were the smallest clients in that network,” a former Delta executive told Veja. Cavendish declined to comment on the matter.
Clearly, it was Cavendish who passed on the message and pretended to deny it when asked for comment. A classic tactic used in so-called investigative journalism, where a source intends to plant a message without identifying its author.
According to the report, the seven companies used by Delta and other contractors issued fake invoices, which allowed them to generate funds for undeclared campaign contributions – which is very likely true.
Cavendish is targeting the companies EIT, Triunfo, and UTC. These companies are linked to businessman Ricardo Pessoa, former director of OAS, and have shown strong growth in recent years. Triunfo, for example, won the auction to manage the concession for Viracopos Airport in Campinas.
According to Veja, Cavendish will remain silent if he goes to the CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry).