The request cites Ribeiro and pastors Arilton Moura and Gilmar Silva dos Santos as targets under investigation, suspected of mediating mayoral meetings at the Ministry of Education.
This document indicates the possible appearance of the crimes of passive corruption, influence peddling and administrative advocacy.
The content of the representations carries degrees of plausibility and material evidence that requires an investigation to elucidate the possibility of committing crimes, wrote the attorney general, Augusto Aras.
He also alluded to the fact that the minister did not deny the information that appeared in the press about the case and admitted the meetings with the pastors.
Among the planned measures, Aras wants to take the testimony of the mayors about the alleged request for a bribe made by one of the pastors (Moura), in exchange for interceding in the release of resources by the Education portfolio, the minister’s statements and the shepherds.
If the STF authorizes it, the investigation must be sent to the Federal Police with an initial term of 60 days for its conclusion.
Ribeiro admitted in a recording that he prioritizes the release of funds from the municipalities, whose requests were negotiated by two pastors, according to a report published by the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.
In the audio, the minister assures that he complied with a request from President Jair Bolsonaro.
Without public positions, Dos Santos and Moura act as informal advisers to the ministry, mediating in meetings with municipal managers, revealed the newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo.
The day before, Ribeiro, fourth minister of the sector in the Bolsonaro government, made himself available to the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira, and the helmsman of the Senate Education Commission, Marcelo Castro, to clarify the suspicions to the Legislature. of influence peddling.
Given the facts, the opposition calls for his immediate resignation, and although Bolsonaro is still silent, Vice President Hamilton Mourao asserted that he sees no reason for the minister to leave office.
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