A member of the Workers' Party (PT) is requesting an investigation into the Supreme Court's travel and per diem expenses.
"Imagine a public servant responsible for authorizing expenditures paying for their spouse's travel expenses," questioned Congressman Amauri Teixeira, who requested the TCU (Federal Court of Accounts) to investigate allegations that the STF (Supreme Federal Court) incurred expenses for travel and per diem allowances for ministers on medical leave, including the court's president, Minister Joaquim Barbosa; "I want to know which public servant travels with a paid ticket when they are on medical leave."
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Brazilian Congressman Amauri Teixeira (PT-BA) announced in plenary that he will ask the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) to investigate what he called "immoralities" regarding travel allowances and expenses at the Supreme Federal Court (STF). The congressman's initiative is based on a report by the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, which, under the Access to Information Law, found that the STF made expenditures on travel allowances and expenses for ministers on medical leave and some of their wives.
"Now, travel expenses are paid to members of the Judiciary when they travel, or to public servants. Now, imagine: some public servant, responsible for authorizing expenditures, paying for his wife's travel expenses," said Amauri. The president of the Supreme Court, Joaquim Barbosa, for example, traveled 16 times with expenses paid by the Supreme Court, even while on medical leave, informed Amauri Teixeira.
"I want to know which public servant travels with a paid ticket while on medical leave," Amauri inquired. He noted that the Supreme Court should be setting an example and is "engaging in irregularities."
The Workers' Party (PT) congressman defended the importance of the investigation by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU). "Congressman Fernando Ferro (PT-PE) and I will request that the TCU investigate these irregularities, because the Supreme Court cannot regulate this matter by resolution," he said. The payments for travel expenses and per diem allowances are based on a 2010 Supreme Court resolution.
Background – The article cited by Congressman Amauri Teixeira was published this Monday (20) in the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo. The report states that "the president of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), Joaquim Barbosa, used air tickets paid for by the Court during periods when he was on leave from the court". "Barbosa made 19 trips to four cities in the years 2009 and 2010 on dates when he was away from his work at the Court", says the article.
The report also states that the president of the Supreme Court, as well as other ministers, used tickets paid for by the Court during recess periods, when the ministers are on vacation. The released data shows that the minister also has a habit of using tickets paid for with public funds to spend weekends at his residence in Rio.