Former INSS attorney general Virgílio Oliveira Filho was heard this Thursday at the INSS Joint Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPMI), choosing to remain silent in the face of questions from the rapporteur, deputy Alfredo Gaspar (União-AL). Oliveira Filho’s testimony began late this Thursday afternoon (23), after the commission heard its companionThaisa Hoffmann.
A little earlier, Oliveira Filho stated that he was not indicted in the scheme that diverted around R$6.3 billion in irregular discounts on the benefits of retirees and pensioners.
“I am not nominated, I am not a defendant, much less convicted”, declared the witness, stating that he had not yet been heard by the authorities.
“I was not heard, I did not provide clarification, but I perceived a very strong prejudgment and, based on all these issues, I will speak here and defend my actions as INSS attorney”, he stated.
Oliveira Filho was removed from office by court decision in April. According to investigations by the Federal Police (PF) and the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU), he would have received R$11.9 million from companies linked to associations investigated for irregular discounts on social security benefits.
The CPMI rapporteur, deputy Alfredo Gaspar (União-AL), asked about the evolution of the assets of the former INSS attorney and career employee of the Federal Attorney General’s Office (AGU).
“As advised by my defense, I will remain silent”, stated Oliveira Filho, who chose to remain silent in the face of the rapporteur’s questions.
One habeas corpus (HC), granted by the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) Luiz Fux gave the deponent the right to remain silent in questions that could incriminate him.
Companion
Earlier, Thaisa Hoffmann Jonasson, the former prosecutor’s companion, also remained silent during almost her entire testimony. Owner of consultancy companies Thaisa Hoffmann is identified, by the members of the collegiate, as the “orange” of the scheme to divert resources from retirees and pensioners.
During Thaisa’s testimony, the president of the collegiate, senator Carlos Viana (Podemos-MG), stated that witnesses summoned by the INSS CPMI who do not schedule a statement by next weekend will be subject to a request for arrest.
Among those mentioned by the senator are the following: Mauro Palombo Concílio, accountant for several companies suspected of involvement in fraud, Vinicius Ramos da Cruz, brother-in-law of the president of the National Confederation of Family Farmers and Rural Family Entrepreneurs (Conafer); Silas da Costa Vaz, linked to Conafer; Cecília Rodrigues Mota, former president of the National Association of Retirees and Pensioners (Aapen); and Danilo Berndt Trento, a businessman suspected of involvement in the fraud.
Arrest requests
Viana also appealed to STF minister André Mendonça to enact the requests for preventive arrests approved by the collegiate.
“The time for patience is over, now is the time for action, enact the prisons approved by this CPMI,” said the senator, arguing that the requests are based on robust evidence. “While the retiree cries over the discount on their paycheck, they toast with champagne,” he continued.
