"Court decision restores the truth," says Jorge Viana about Operation G7.
After three years and eight months, the 21 defendants accused by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office were acquitted due to lack of evidence regarding the allegations of fraud in the construction of low-income housing in Acre; "Finally, justice has been done. This is no small thing in these times of summary execution of personal honor by the court of public opinion," said Senator Jorge Viana (PT-AC); according to him, the investigation was conducted with great fanfare and, from the beginning, was based on weak evidence.
247 - Senator Jorge Viana (PT-AC) commented this Wednesday, the 11th, on the decision of Judge Jair Araújo Facundes, of the 3rd Federal Court of Acre, who acquitted 21 people, including businessmen and the former Secretary of Public Works of Acre, Wolvernar Camargo. "The truth came to light and they were acquitted," said Viana. "Finally, justice was done. This is no small thing in these times of summary execution of personal honor by the court of public opinion."
The suspects were being investigated in Operation G-7, launched in 2013 by the Federal Police, on suspicion of fraud in the construction of 3.348 low-income housing units under the state program "Cidade do Povo" (City of the People), run by Governor Tião Viana. The project was estimated at R$ 177 million. In the 31-page ruling, the federal judge concluded that there was no evidence of the crime attributed by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office of Acre to the construction sector businessmen and the former secretary. They were accused of forming a cartel.
According to Jorge Viana, Operation G7 was carried out with great fanfare and, from the beginning, was based on weak evidence. It ended up being used by the governor's adversaries to unfairly attack him. "Those who know Tião Viana know of his honesty and character. Part of the opposition and some sectors of the press tried at all costs to tarnish the honor of these people. Now, the Federal Court's decision restores the truth," he said.
"No injustice lasts forever," commented the senator. He praised the Federal Court's decision to restore the honor of the accused. "Having guaranteed the full right to defense, in which the accused were able to contest the accusations, the Court recognized the unfounded nature of the charges and acquitted everyone due to lack of evidence." Viana said that businessmen and public servants suffered the consequences of the accusations, enduring all sorts of attacks on their personal honor.
Operation G7 pointed to Tiago Viana Neves, the nephew of Tião and Jorge Viana (PT), as being involved in the alleged fraudulent scheme. Tiago was arrested but released by order of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ). He was not even formally charged in the current case. The target of another lawsuit, Tiago was acquitted by the Federal Court.
"Regrettably, the succession of scandalous headlines and the manipulation of news by sectors of the press allowed lies to be published as truths," declared Jorge Viana. "The damage caused was terrible, and many had their lives devastated. It is time to reflect on the role of the authorities who allowed abuses to be committed in the name of the law."
The senator warned that the Federal Court's decision came too late for some of the accused. "For businessman Carlos Sassai and engineer Nilton Silveira, the truth took too long to come to light," he said. "They didn't live to see the accusations dismissed." Sassai died in June of last year and Silveira in August 2015. "Both suffered the humiliation of being unjustly accused," he lamented.
The defendants acquitted are Acrinaldo Pereira Pontes, Aurélio Silva da Cruz, Carlos Afonso Cipriano dos Santos, João Braga Campos Filho, João Francisco Salomão, João Oliveira Albuquerque, Jorge Wanderlau Tomás, José Adriano Ribeiro da Silva, Keith Fontenele Gouveia, Marcelo Sanchez de Menezes, Mário Tadachi Yonekura, Narciso Mendes de Assis Júnior, Neyldo Franklin Carlos de Assis, Orleilson Gonçalves Cameli, Rodrigo Toledo Pontes, Sérgio Yoshio Nakamura, Sérgio Tsuyoshi Murata, Vladmir Câmara Tomás, Wolvenar Camargo Filho, Carlos Tadashi Sasai, and Nilton Luiz Bittencourt Silveira. The last two died before their innocence was confirmed by the court.
"Operation G7 was exhaustively exploited by sectors of the press and by the opposition to Governor Tião Viana," said the senator, who urged the authorities to remain calm. "Those who are guardians of the law cannot afford to err, launching accusations without respecting due process and taking advantage of sectors of the media to anticipate convictions." He concluded: "It is better to suffer an injustice than to commit one. Fortunately, justice has come to restore the truth."