Folha confirms "deep throat" attack against FHC.

247 - In the final stretch of the trial of Criminal Action 470, a speech by Minister Celso de Mello drew attention. According to him, the treatment given to the defendant José Dirceu was "benign," since it involved corrupting institutions to allow a certain group to perpetuate itself in power. 

Interestingly, this weekend, the book "The Prince of Privatization," by journalist Palmério Doria, arrives in bookstores. It addresses the actual buying of votes to perpetuate a certain group in power. In 1997, in order for the amendment allowing the reelection of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso to be approved, parliamentarians were bribed; some received R$ 200, and the payments were handled by figures who are now prominent in the subway scandal.

Nothing was done, no one was denounced, and none of the characters became defendants. In that year, 1997, the main whistleblower in the story was identified by Folha as "Mr. X," a character who recorded congressmen admitting to having received bribes. In the book, Palmério reveals that he was the businessman and former congressman Narciso Mendes.

In this Saturday's edition, Folha confirms for the first time that Mendes was indeed "Mr. X" or his "deep throat." In an article by Ricardo Mendonça, the newspaper classifies the revelation by Palmério Doria, who is also a columnist for 247, as "historic."

In Brazil, Mendes remained anonymous for 16 years. In the United States, the identity of Mark Felt, the FBI deputy director who exposed the Watergate scandal, was protected for 33 years. The difference is that, there, President Richard Nixon fell. Here, FHC celebrates the imprisonment of defendants who, as Celso de Mello says, corrupted institutions to perpetuate themselves in power.

Below is Ricardo Mendonça's report, in which Folha confirms the identity of its informant and notes that the case was never investigated:

Book against FHC reveals source that proved vote buying.

RICARDO MENDONÇA

FROM SAO PAULO

The book "The Prince of Privatization," a diatribe against former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso being launched by journalist Palmério Dória, contains a historical revelation about the purchase of votes in Congress in favor of the constitutional amendment allowing reelection, a scheme denounced by... Sheet in 1997.

Referred to by the newspaper as "Mr. X" in several reports, the man who that year recorded members of parliament admitting to selling votes revealed his true identity.

This refers to businessman and former congressman Narciso Mendes, 67 years old, owner of a newspaper and an SBT affiliate in Rio Branco (AC). In 16 years, he had never spoken publicly about the matter. At his request, his name was kept confidential by the newspaper.

Mendes' testimony admitting to having gathered evidence of vote buying is the subject of chapters 11 and 12 of "The Prince of Privatization" (399 pages, Geração Editorial).

At the time, Mendes was already a former congressman. With good connections within the Acre delegation, he claims he agreed to record his colleagues and hand the material over to reporter Fernando Rodrigues, author of the series of reports... Sheet Regarding the vote-buying, he was "uncompromisingly against" the amendment that would favor FHC.

His only request was to remain anonymous, a condition the newspaper accepted, understanding that journalistic interest outweighed the need to reveal his name. With his own initiative to reveal his identity, Folha understands that the agreement is terminated.

HISTORIC

In recordings from "Senhor X" in 1997, two congressmen from Acre, Ronivon Santiago and João Maia (both from the PFL, now DEM), said they voted in favor of the reelection amendment in exchange for R$ 200, equivalent to R$ 530 today.

Three other members of parliament were explicitly mentioned in the recordings. The conversations suggested that dozens had participated in the scheme.

The accusation caused a stir in the government, but the matter was never investigated. The attempt to create a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry was stifled. The then Attorney General of the Republic, Geraldo Brindeiro, did not request the opening of an investigation.

On May 21, 1997, eight days after the case was published, Santiago and Maia resigned. The official letters sent to the Speaker of the House, Michel Temer (PMDB-SP), were identical. Both cited "personal reasons."

Ten years later, in a hearing at SheetFHC did not deny that vote buying occurred, but said that the operation was not orchestrated by the government. "The Senate voted [on reelection] in June [of 1997] and 80% approved. What vote buying? (...) Was there vote buying? Probably. Was it done by the federal government? No. By the PSDB: no. By me, much less."

CAUGHT

Despite the scandalous tone of the subtitle, "The secret story of how Brazil lost its assets and FHC won his reelection," the book does not contain exclusive material about the sale of state-owned companies during the Cardoso administration (1995-2002).

The various accusations cited, often presented in a confusing and imprecise manner, are reproductions of news published in newspapers and magazines of the time. The economic arguments, on the other hand, are collages of articles published in the 90s by journalist Aloysio Biondi (1936-2000), a former columnist for... Sheet.

The most controversial information in the book is not in Dória's material, but in the "Editor's Letter," signed in the introduction by Luiz Fernando Emediato, owner of Geração.

Emediato says that in 1991, when accusations against then-President Fernando Collor began to surface, he heard a confession of using undeclared funds directly from FHC himself during a trip to the USA.

He claims to have heard FHC say the following: "The difference between us and them [Collor's group] is that we spend the money on campaigns, while they pocket a good portion of it themselves."

In writing, FHC Institute advisor Xico Graziano stated that the former president does not remember meeting Emediato in the US. Graziano described the phrase attributed to him as "absurd" and said that he "would never have uttered it."

THE PRINCE OF PRIVATIZATION