Rossi is indicted as the head of a criminal gang.
Brazilian Federal Police investigation into the embezzlement of R$ 2,72 million led by the former Minister of Agriculture.
The Federal Police yesterday indicted former Minister Wagner Rossi (Agriculture) on charges of forming a criminal organization, embezzlement, and fraud against the Bidding Law. Rossi was interrogated for two hours by investigator Leo Garrido de Salles Meira, who is leading an inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of R$ 2,72 million from the Annual Continuing Education Program (PAEC) intended for the training of ministry employees.
The former minister denied involvement in the irregularities alleged by the Federal Police. The Federal Police attributes to Rossi the role of "leader of a criminal organization entrenched within the Ministry of Agriculture."
Rossi said that the minister is not authorized to oversee bidding processes. According to him, the minister has a "political position, a strategic role."
Rossi was the fourth minister in Dilma Rousseff's (PT) government to lose his post. He resigned in August, amidst a series of accusations involving his administration in influence peddling, falsification of public documents, ideological falsehood, active corruption, and the distribution of bribes to officials who allegedly participated in the administrative procedure that led to the hiring of the São Paulo Foundation (Fundasp), the organization that maintains PUC-SP.