Federal prosecutors are investigating a public servant who was receiving Bolsa Família benefits.

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF/AL) has initiated an investigation to determine whether a municipal employee in Capela, who also holds the position of Municipal Civil Defense Coordinator, allegedly received the "Bolsa Família" benefit. In June of this year, the Attorney General's Office found that, throughout Brazil, more than 500 public employees improperly received Bolsa Família benefits between 2013 and 2014.

July 25, 2016, 19:32 pmUpdated May 28, 2019, 08:50 AM

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF/AL) has initiated an investigation to determine whether a municipal employee in Capela, who also holds the position of Municipal Civil Defense Coordinator, had received Bolsa Família benefits improperly; in June of this year, the Attorney General's Office found that, throughout Brazil, more than 500 public employees improperly received Bolsa Família benefits between 2013 and 2014 (Photo: Voney Malta).

Alagoas 247 - The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF/AL) has initiated an investigation to determine whether Alex Crisóstomo de Almeida, a civil servant employed by the Municipality of Capela, allegedly received benefits from the "Bolsa Família" program. He currently holds the position of Municipal Coordinator of Civil Defense in the municipality. According to the Municipal Executive Branch's Transparency Portal, the public servant receives a monthly salary of R$ 1,5.

According to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF), the procedure was initiated on July 8th, and subsequently, on the 11th, the agency officially notified the Municipality of Capela to adopt the appropriate measures for the case and provide information on what steps were taken and whether the complaint is valid. The municipality was given a 15-day deadline to send the necessary explanations regarding the public servant and the benefit.

Data from the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU) - published on the Federal Government's Transparency Portal - shows that the employee received several payments throughout 2015 and also in the first five months of 2016. The benefit he was to receive was R$ 77 per month.

According to Alex Crisóstomo de Almeida himself, he has already been contacted by the Public Prosecutor's Office to provide the necessary explanations regarding the alleged irregular receipt of the funds.

"This complaint arose from a political issue in the region. As soon as I became aware of the illegality of the act, I returned the money I had received, approximately R$ 1.096. Furthermore, I will comment on all other facts during the investigation," explained the civil servant who allegedly received the benefit illegally.

In June 2016, the Attorney General's Office found that more than 500 public employees had improperly received Bolsa Família benefits between 2013 and 2014 throughout Brazil. This fraud, uncovered by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, has already reached more than R$ 2,5 billion. These cases are multiplying across the country. In light of all these cases, the Public Prosecutor's Office has been demanding more rigorous oversight.

This was not a superficial investigation and took into account the cross-referencing of data from the Federal Revenue Service, Courts of Auditors, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), and the Ministry of Social Development, which is responsible for the Bolsa Família program. The program paid out more than R$ 2,5 billion between 2013 and 2014 to people who were not entitled to it.

The Attorney General's Office (PGR) argues that the government program is intended for families living in poverty and extreme poverty and aims to ensure the human right to adequate food.

With gazetaweb.com