Kátia's trip around the world with public money
Senator Kátia Abreu (PMDB/TO) received a bombshell this weekend from Época magazine; she was accused of traveling the world with her boyfriend, Moisés Pinto, an employee of her Senate office, using public funds; together, they went to destinations such as Beijing, Frankfurt, Washington, Lima, and Brussels; the senator was also accused of using resources from the National Confederation of Agriculture, funded by the S System, for her own benefit and will be judged by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court).
Tocantins 247 - Senator Kátia Abreu (PMDB-TO) received a bombshell from Época magazine this weekend. She was accused of taking a romantic world tour with her boyfriend, Moisés Pinto, who works in her Senate office. In the same report, Kátia is accused of using resources from the National Confederation of Agriculture, funded by the "Sistema S" (a system of private, non-profit institutions that provide vocational training and other services), for her own benefit. About to be judged by the Superior Electoral Court, the senator could be punished for abuse of economic power. Read below the summary of Época's accusation, as reported by Cleber Toledo's blog:
'Época' says Kátia Abreu took her boyfriend to 9 countries and a public servant was away from his workplace for a total of 3 months.
From Cleber Toledo's blog The magazine Time This weekend's edition features the report "The Charming Itinerary," which recounts what it calls Senator Kátia Abreu's (PMDB) "romantic parliamentary missions" to nine countries accompanied by her boyfriend, civil servant Moisés Pinto. The article, written by journalist Marcelo Rocha, states that the senator's boyfriend, who worked in her office until April, was excused from registering his attendance at work on 12 occasions to accompany Kátia on international trips.
Time The magazine says that Moisés traveled with Kátia to nine countries between February 2012 and April 2014. "In total, it was almost three months of absence," the magazine states. According to the article, during this period the couple visited, among other destinations, Washington and Boston in the United States; Frankfurt, Germany; Shanghai and Beijing, China; Lima, Peru; and Brussels, Belgium.
The civil servant and boyfriend of the senator from Tocantins began advising her in the Senate starting in 2011. Furthermore, according to... TimeIn recent years, Moisés also served as president of the CNA institute, part of the National Confederation of Agriculture, which was chaired by the senator between 2008 and April of this year, when she stepped down to seek re-election to the Senate. According to the magazine, the institute is responsible for research and studies on agribusiness.
SPECIAL ATTENDANCE REGIME
Time The magazine reported that it sought out Moisés, but the public servant declined to comment. The CNA, it said, also did not respond. Kátia's press office told the publication that Moisés accompanied the senator on several external activities and, therefore, was subject to a "special attendance regime." "All trips were made at no cost to the Senate, and the requests for leave were formalized in strict accordance with the rules established by the Board of Directors," Kátia's office told Época.
According to a statement from the senator's press office to the magazine, "the activities required of the employee while performing their duties in the Senate were fully carried out, with dedication and competence, demonstrating total commitment and availability to the tasks assigned to them."
The congresswoman's office also emphasized that, "in this way, it is possible to attest that any activity that the employee may have carried out in parallel to his assignment to the Senate did not interfere with or harm his duties in the office."
And the magazine "interpreted" the meaning of the note: "Kátia's press office meant that he worked normally," the report states.
OLD SUSPICIONS OF SELF-GAIN
In the report, Time The article states that "suspicions that Kátia uses CNA money for her own benefit are longstanding." According to the magazine, she was first accused of using the confederation, of which she was a director in 2006, to finance her Senate campaign. In the 2010 elections, the publication recalled, a new accusation arose: this time, the Electoral Attorney General's Office (PGE) supported the removal from office of Congressman Irajá Abreu (PSD), the senator's son, for allegedly receiving illegal funds through the CNA for his campaign.
The Attorney General's opinion states that Kátia, then president of the CNA, "sent unregistered payment slips, each for R$ 100, to more than 600 rural producers throughout the country, requesting payment as a form of donation to the electoral campaigns of candidates affiliated with the agricultural sector."
Compliant TimeMore than R$700 was raised, and the case has been pending in the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) since last year.
Colgate Smile
In March of this year, the senator was the target of another negative article with national repercussions. This was the result of a survey conducted by the newspaper. The State of São Paulo Senators, former senators, and their dependents use the Senate's health plan to cover expenses that include the implantation of gold dental prostheses and even speech therapy sessions to improve oratory skills and overcome shyness. The São Paulo newspaper highlighted that all of this is at zero cost, entirely paid for by the taxpayer. According to the newspaper report, which cites several parliamentarians, Kátia spent R$ 45.350 on dental treatments in 2010 and 2013.
According to the survey, Kátia's spending was the third highest – she was only surpassed by Pedro Simon (PMDB-RS), who spent R$ 62.793 of taxpayers' money on dental care, and by Fernando Collor (PTB-AL) and his wife, who had their smiles beautified for R$ 71 of Brazilian citizens' money.
To defend herself, the senator sent a statement to the press affirming that the legal reimbursements of R$ 45.350, referring to expenses she incurred for dental care, are covered under the Federal Senate's Health Plan. Kátia also stated that she used "only 45% of the legally stipulated amount," which is R$ 25.998,96. According to the parliamentarian, she used the funds in the fiscal years 2010/2011/2012 and 2013.
The senator explained that the reimbursements are established "legally as determined by Act No. 09/1.995 of the Federal Senate's Steering Committee, amended by Act No. 13/2012 of the Steering Committee, which provides for health care assistance provided to senators and their dependents and to former senators and their spouses, including dental care among the services covered."
- Click here to read the full article in the magazine Time From this week.
The civil servant and boyfriend of the senator from Tocantins began advising her in the Senate starting in 2011. Furthermore, according to... TimeIn recent years, Moisés also served as president of the CNA institute, part of the National Confederation of Agriculture, which was chaired by the senator between 2008 and April of this year, when she stepped down to seek re-election to the Senate. According to the magazine, the institute is responsible for research and studies on agribusiness.
SPECIAL ATTENDANCE REGIME
Time The magazine reported that it sought out Moisés, but the public servant declined to comment. The CNA, it said, also did not respond. Kátia's press office told the publication that Moisés accompanied the senator on several external activities and, therefore, was subject to a "special attendance regime." "All trips were made at no cost to the Senate, and the requests for leave were formalized in strict accordance with the rules established by the Board of Directors," Kátia's office told Época.
According to a statement from the senator's press office to the magazine, "the activities required of the employee while performing their duties in the Senate were fully carried out, with dedication and competence, demonstrating total commitment and availability to the tasks assigned to them."
The congresswoman's office also emphasized that, "in this way, it is possible to attest that any activity that the employee may have carried out in parallel to his assignment to the Senate did not interfere with or harm his duties in the office."
And the magazine "interpreted" the meaning of the note: "Kátia's press office meant that he worked normally," the report states.
OLD SUSPICIONS OF SELF-GAIN
In the report, Time The article states that "suspicions that Kátia uses CNA money for her own benefit are longstanding." According to the magazine, she was first accused of using the confederation, of which she was a director in 2006, to finance her Senate campaign. In the 2010 elections, the publication recalled, a new accusation arose: this time, the Electoral Attorney General's Office (PGE) supported the removal from office of Congressman Irajá Abreu (PSD), the senator's son, for allegedly receiving illegal funds through the CNA for his campaign.
The Attorney General's opinion states that Kátia, then president of the CNA, "sent unregistered payment slips, each for R$ 100, to more than 600 rural producers throughout the country, requesting payment as a form of donation to the electoral campaigns of candidates affiliated with the agricultural sector."
Compliant TimeMore than R$700 was raised, and the case has been pending in the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) since last year.
Colgate Smile
In March of this year, the senator was the target of another negative article with national repercussions. This was the result of a survey conducted by the newspaper. The State of São Paulo Senators, former senators, and their dependents use the Senate's health plan to cover expenses that include the implantation of gold dental prostheses and even speech therapy sessions to improve oratory skills and overcome shyness. The São Paulo newspaper highlighted that all of this is at zero cost, entirely paid for by the taxpayer. According to the newspaper report, which cites several parliamentarians, Kátia spent R$ 45.350 on dental treatments in 2010 and 2013.
According to the survey, Kátia's spending was the third highest – she was only surpassed by Pedro Simon (PMDB-RS), who spent R$ 62.793 of taxpayers' money on dental care, and by Fernando Collor (PTB-AL) and his wife, who had their smiles beautified for R$ 71 of Brazilian citizens' money.
To defend herself, the senator sent a statement to the press affirming that the legal reimbursements of R$ 45.350, referring to expenses she incurred for dental care, are covered under the Federal Senate's Health Plan. Kátia also stated that she used "only 45% of the legally stipulated amount," which is R$ 25.998,96. According to the parliamentarian, she used the funds in the fiscal years 2010/2011/2012 and 2013.
The senator explained that the reimbursements are established "legally as determined by Act No. 09/1.995 of the Federal Senate's Steering Committee, amended by Act No. 13/2012 of the Steering Committee, which provides for health care assistance provided to senators and their dependents and to former senators and their spouses, including dental care among the services covered."
- Click here to read the full article in the magazine Time From this week.