Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry sparks first regional conflict: in Paraná
Senator Roberto Requio (PMDB-PR) suggests a CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) into the Cachoeira scandal, including a confrontation between the governor of Paraná, Beto Richa, and the owner of the Larami lottery, who is allegedly a partner of the illegal gambling operator; Congressman Fernando Francischini (PSDB-PR) wants to summon Requio for maintaining "meetings and business dealings" with Cachoeira in 2003 and 2004.
247 with Senate Agency – Senator Roberto Requião (PMDB-PR) suggested, this Friday (20), that the Cachoeira CPI investigate possible investments by gambling racketeers in the campaign for the government of Paraná in 2010. In a statement in the Plenary, the parliamentarian expressed confidence that Governor Beto Richa (PSDB) will be called to the commission for a confrontation with Roberto Coppola, owner of the Larami lottery, who allegedly had Carlos Cachoeira as a partner.
Requião said he expects Richa to explain the understandings with Coppola and the reason why, five days before the election, he received "the representative of organized gambling and political corruption." "I stepped on a pig's tail, disclosing to the whole of Brazil, via the internet and on the floor, with the power of TV Senado, the documents from emails captured by the Federal Police, which are already public," said the senator, referring to negotiations for the... opening of state lotteries.
Federal deputy Rubens Bueno (PPS-PR), appointed to the CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry), has already announced that he will request the summoning of Argentine businessman Roberto Coppola. Also a member of the CPI, deputy and police officer Fernando Francischini, in turn, intends to summon Senator Requião to testify, as reported by... Radar columnHe accuses Requião of having received Carlinhos Cachoeira in Paraná in January 2003, when he was governor.
According to the politician, it was Goiás state representative Maguito Vilela who brought Cachoeira to the then-governor in January 2003 – the company Larami Diversões e Entretenimento Ltda. was contracted in 2001 by the Paraná state government to operate Serlopar, the state lottery, which was dissolved in 2007 by the Legislative Assembly.
Francischini accuses Requião of maintaining, for 16 months between 2003 and 2004, "the participation of the company Larami Diversões e Entretenimento with the Paraná State Lottery Service (Serlopar) for the operation of lottery games." In a statement released by his press office, the congressman says that "Larami's participation in the Requião government led Cachoeira to make initial contact with the then-governor shortly after his inauguration in January 2003, according to press reports at the time. This meeting allegedly served to guarantee the continuation of the partnership, which in fact happened -- the contract was only interrupted in April 2004, but the reasons have not been clarified to this day."
According to the text, "Requião and Carlinhos Cachoeira allegedly met at least once more, specifically in March 2004, to discuss maintaining the partnership. However, the differences reportedly intensified significantly, leading to the dismissal of lawyer Daniel Godoy, who was then working in the Civil House of the government. Shortly afterward, in April 2004, the contract with Larami was terminated."
Requião defends himself: he has already accused the Secretary of Finance of Paraná, Luiz Carlos Hauly, of lying when he said that he received illegal gambling operators at the Iguaçu Palace while he was governor.