Collor goes on the offensive and calls for Policarpo and Civita to testify before the CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry).

247 – Senator Fernando Collor (PTB-AL) defended, this Monday the 14th, the summoning of journalist Policarpo Jr., director of the Brasília branch of Veja magazine, and Roberto Civita, owner of Editora Abril, to the Cachoeira CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry). “When a person adheres to another's criminal intent, they become a co-author of the crime,” suggested the former president, who focused on a report published by Veja in 2005 to criticize the relationship between the illegal gambling operator Carlinhos Cachoeira and Policarpo.

“Mr. Policarpo has maintained a close relationship with Mr. Carlos Cachoeira for almost a decade. This colleague testified on January 22 (actually, the month is February) of 2005, as a witness for Carlos Cachoeira in a proceeding before the Chamber of Deputies' Ethics Committee. At the time, as an informant, Policarpo admitted to having received 4 CDs with 5 hours of illegal recordings commissioned by Carlinhos Cachoeira,” said Collor.

The senator is referring to the impeachment process of Congressman André Luiz (then PMDB-RJ), accused of attempted extortion thanks to an article published by Veja magazine and written by then-reporter Policarpo. The report reveals dialogues in which the congressman asked Cachoeira for R$ 4 million so that the gambling boss's name would be removed from the final report of the Loterj CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro. At the time, Policarpo testified against André Luiz (and therefore in favor of Cachoeira), in a process that culminated in the congressman's impeachment and the discrediting of the Loterj CPI. Cachoeira escaped a prison sentence that was considered certain.

“Wouldn’t it have been better if Policarpo and the service that hires him hadn’t helped that racketeer? If it weren’t for that report and that testimony, wouldn’t Mr. Carlos Cachoeira still be in prison today, or wouldn’t his illicit activities have stopped since then?” he questioned. “At that time there was no reaction, no surprise or opposition from the media because it was a journalist acting as a witness for his source. Why only now?” Collor questioned, taking the opportunity to propose a discussion about the current role of the press in the country.

“Why should a judicial secrecy be violated and the confidentiality of a criminal source not? To what extent and under what conditions must a criminal source be covered up by the media? To what extent is freedom of the press not turning into press libertinism?”, provoked the former president, who left the Planalto Palace after a series of contrary reports – the most impactful of which was an interview with his brother Pedro Collor, published by Veja.

Civita

Whether out of resentment or a sense of duty, the fact is that Collor also defended summoning Roberto Civita to testify before the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry regarding the "cohabitation that, at his behest, his magazine and some of his journalists maintain with organized crime." "It's time to unmask this man and his dealings," argued the senator, who described himself as a defender of the press.

“I have always defended freedom of the press. Even in the CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) where I was targeted, I always disclosed all the information. No one has the authority to say that I do not defend freedom of the press. My wish is that the CPI functions satisfactorily. Preferably enabling and allowing these journalists and their media outlets to uncover how the close relationship they have been maintaining with criminals has been taking place,” he concluded.