Another minister in the crosshairs of the Ethics Committee.
This time, Alexandre Padilha, from the Health Ministry, whose name was mentioned in calls recorded by Operation Monte Carlo, which investigated Carlinhos Cachoeira; the president of the Ethics Commission of the Presidency, Sepúlveda Pertence, says that the number of wiretaps authorized by the courts is excessive.
Agency Brazil – Health Minister Alexandre Padilha may be investigated by the Public Ethics Commission of the Presidency of the Republic, the commission’s president and former Supreme Federal Court (STF) minister, Sepúlveda Pertence, announced today (24).
According to a report in the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper, Padilha's name was mentioned in a phone conversation in which he allegedly authorized the group of businessman Carlos Augusto Ramos, known as Carlinhos Cachoeira, suspected of running an illegal gambling scheme, to proceed with a business in the healthcare sector.
Pertence stated that there will be no rush in analyzing the complaint and that all government ministers are subject to investigations by the commission.
“We met and analyzed what we call the current situation. It’s a summary of everything you [in the press] have said, judged, and everyone you have condemned,” said Pertence.
"It seems that [Padilha's case] is not a matter of homicide, that we have to make a decision about today. It's more of an accusation of possible corruption. So, it's been going on for a long time. It's open to investigation. Everyone can be investigated," the president stated.
Sepúlveda Pertence also classified the number of wiretaps authorized by the courts in Brazil as excessive. Invited by the Chamber's Oversight and Control Committee to speak about the duties and functioning of the Ethics Committee, Pertence criticized the committee's current structure. According to him, the body is "an entity of Franciscan poverty," with a budget of R$ 600.
Regarding the ongoing processes in the commission, the commission's president informed that the Minister of Institutional Relations, Ideli Salvatti, has already offered clarifications regarding the allegations of irregularities in the Ministry of Fisheries.
Regarding the case of the Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Fernando Pimentel, Pertence said that the commission requested additional information, but has not yet received a response.