Arrest of North-South strongman alarms Brasília
Leading the construction of the North-South Railway, José Francisco das Neves, from the PR party, amassed a multi-million dollar fortune in Goiás; appointed during Lula's government and dismissed by Dilma, "Juquinha," as he is known, was one of the main collectors of undeclared campaign contributions in the country and built his own nest egg.
247 - A new operation by the Federal Police has put authorities in Brasília on alert. This morning, an arrest warrant was served against José Francisco das Neves, former president of Valec Engenharia, his wife, and two children. Valec is linked to the Ministry of Transport and manages gigantic projects, such as the North-South Railway, from Maranhão to Goiás, and the high-speed train.
Linked to the PR party, "Juquinha," as he is known, was appointed by President Lula and dismissed by Dilma, at the time of the dismissal of former minister Alfredo Nascimento. In the operation, in addition to the arrests, three mansions in the Alphaville condominium in Goiânia, valued at R$ 10 million, are being seized. But this is only part of his assets. "Juquinha" also bought some of the largest farms in the state of Goiás, one of the main livestock centers in Brazil.
His arrest could even have an impact on the Cachoeira case CPI, since the summoning of Luiz Antônio Pagot, former director of the National Department of Transport Infrastructure, is being voted on this Thursday. Dismissed in the same wave that brought down Alfredo Nascimento and "Juquinha," Pagot said that the PR party raised funds for the 2010 presidential campaign.
Overbilling
Valec has been involved in several episodes of overpricing in the construction of railway sections. Last year, Congressman Júlio Delgado (PSB/MG) questioned the Ministry of Transport about the construction of sections costing R$ 16 million per kilometer in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais.
Recently, "Juquinha" acquired farms valued at over R$ 30 million, paying in cash, which were placed in the name of his wife Marivone and children.
According to prosecutor Hélio Telho, from the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office of Goiás, "for the first time, the assets of a politician who became wealthy while in office are the subject of a criminal investigation."
Besides Alfredo Nascimento, "Juquinha" had as one of his main political godfathers the ever-present Valdemar Costa Neto (PR-SP).
Read here An article about the operation was published on the website of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Goiás, listing the names of all those involved.