Zelotes: Court freezes R$ 1 million belonging to Joseph Safra.
A Federal Court has ordered the freezing of assets belonging to banker Joseph Safra up to R$ 1 million, in response to a request made by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office in a case stemming from Operation Zelotes. In his decision, Judge Rodrigo Parente Paiva Bentemuller, of the 15th Federal Court of Brasília, argued that there is "strong evidence of bribery negotiations" on the part of the banker. Operation Zelotes investigates irregularities at the Administrative Council of Tax Appeals (CARF), an agency linked to the Ministry of Finance that is the final administrative instance for appeals against tax assessments.
Felipe Pontes, from Agência Brasil - The Federal Court has ordered the freezing of assets belonging to banker Joseph Safra up to R$ 1 million, in response to a request made by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office in a lawsuit stemming from Operation Zelotes.
In his ruling, Judge Rodrigo Parente Paiva Bentemuller, of the 15th Federal Court of Brasília, argued that there is "strong evidence of bribery negotiations" on the part of the banker.
Operation Zelotes investigates irregularities at the Administrative Council of Tax Appeals (Carf), an agency linked to the Ministry of Finance that is the final administrative instance for appeals against tax assessments.
According to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF), there is evidence that Joseph Safra negotiated bribes with members of the Administrative Council of Tax Appeals (CARF) to favor rulings involving one of his companies. However, the criminal case against Safra was ultimately dismissed.
The court order to freeze assets was granted as part of an administrative misconduct lawsuit in the civil court. Five other people were also affected by the injunction, each with assets frozen totaling R$ 1 million.
Banker Joseph Safra, owner of Safra Bank, is the second richest man in Brazil, according to Forbes magazine.