The court orders the freezing of assets and the lifting of confidentiality regarding Benedita da Silva.
Judge Adriana Marques dos Santos Laia Franco, of the 6th Public Treasury Court of Rio de Janeiro, issued a preliminary injunction ordering the lifting of the asset freeze and the lifting of bank and tax secrecy of federal deputy Benedita da Silva (PT-RJ) until she is reimbursed the amount of R$ 32.094.569,03, corresponding to the damage caused to public assets. The parliamentarian is facing a civil action filed by the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office for administrative misconduct and fraud in agreements between the Darcy Ribeiro Foundation and NGOs with the Ministry of Justice.
Brazil Agency - Judge Adriana Marques dos Santos Laia Franco, of the 6th Public Treasury Court of Rio de Janeiro, issued a preliminary injunction ordering the lifting of the asset freeze and the lifting of bank and tax secrecy of federal congresswoman Benedita da Silva (PT-RJ) until she is reimbursed the amount of R$ 32.094.569,03, corresponding to the damage caused to public assets. The congresswoman is facing a civil lawsuit filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro (MP-RJ) for administrative misconduct related to fraud in agreements between the Darcy Ribeiro Foundation (Fundar) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with the Ministry of Justice. At the time, between 2007 and 2010, Benedita was the state secretary of Social Assistance and Human Rights.
Also named as defendants in the case are the former undersecretary of the department and executive secretary of social programs, Raymundo Sérgio Borges de Almeida Andrea, and the manager and legal representative of Fundar, Paulo Ribeiro. On the 24th, the judge had already granted a preliminary injunction ordering the lifting of bank secrecy for all defendants between the years 2007 and 2010. The analysis of current accounts, savings accounts, and credit card statements was ordered.
According to the complaint filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ), irregularities were detected in the execution of the social projects Mulheres da Paz (Women of Peace), Protejo (I Protect), and Peus – Espaços Urbanos Seguros (Peus – Safe Urban Spaces), carried out between 2008 and 2011. These projects received R$ 32.094.569,03 for the instruction and professional training of women and young people, as well as urban improvements in underprivileged communities.
The funds originated from federal transfers from the National Program for Security with Citizenship (Pronasci), made through eight agreements signed between the state of Rio de Janeiro, through the State Secretariat for Human Rights, and the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Justice/National Secretariat for Public Security (Senasp). Another portion came from state funds applied as counterpart contributions to those transfers.
Among the irregularities, the lawsuit highlights: serious damage to state public assets, irregular financial execution, lack of control over service provision; poor accountability; irregular waiver of bidding process and evident favoritism in the contracting process towards the Darcy Ribeiro Foundation. It also pointed to the subcontracting of NGOs for the execution of the project, personal and political connections between the NGOs and managers of the State Secretariat for Human Rights, as well as a generic contractual object and lack of adequate justification.
The Agência Brasil news agency attempted to contact the press office of congresswoman Benedita da Silva, but had not received a response by the time this article was published.