Businessman Antonio Carlos Camilo Antunes, known as “Bald of the INSS”, said on Thursday (25) that he will deliver to the Federal Police (PF) a large volume of documents that, according to him, prove the legality of the services that his company, Prospect, provided associative entities suspected of illegally charging millions of retirees and pensioners.
Considered by PF as a central figure in the illegal discount scheme in social security benefits paid by the INSS, Antunes has been pre -imprisoned since the last day 12. He appeared to the National Congress on Thursday to give testimony to the Mixed Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPMI) of the National Institute of Social Security (INSS). The testimony is still underway, without ending.
Before you start answering the questions of federal deputies and senators who make up the board, Antunes read a text in which he reaffirmed his innocence, promising to make evidence that his performance was limited to providing advisory and business consultancy to the associations that hired him.
“All services contracted by the associations had as its final recipient the member himself, retired beneficiary of the activities performed,” said the entrepreneur, ensuring that his lawyers will deliver to the PF, in the coming days, more than 180 gigabytes of information, or equivalent to more than 18 million documents.
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“Such elements unequivocally demonstrate that I, even if as a prospect’s leader, was never responsible for the recruitment of associates. [para que as mensalidades associativas fossem descontados dos benefícios] of retirees and pensioners in the INSS system, ”added Antunes.
“The documentation that will be delivered to the police authority shows that, through Prospect, funeral insurance policies have been issued; an benefit club offered with partner companies and discounts granted in agreed pharmacies, as well as providing access to a platform of courses in various areas, among other services effectively provided and enjoyed by members,” said Antunes, claiming to be the target of “liar” that, secondly “narratives” He aims to defam him and “misrepresent the reality of the facts.”
Antunes affirms his innocence arguing that he never manipulated the INSS data systems or “recruited” retired and pensioners to associate themselves to the entities, which were authorized by the INSS to offer the possibility of collecting associative tuition directly from social security benefits. He admits that there may be illegalities in discounts, but attributes responsibility to the entities that have hired him.
“My company has always provided services to associations, with the final recipients the retired associate, but without any interference or responsibility for discounts on their social security benefits, which were performed directly by the associations. Thus, if any retired discounts, the responsibility to be determined by associations that eventually promoted the inclusion of these people in their associative, without due consent. My company, which was limited to the provision of services hired by the entities, ”said the businessman.
At the end of his initial speech, Antunes assured that he will answer all questions from CPMI members, “as long as formulated with education, cordiality and within the limits of ethics,” observing his constitutional right not to reveal facts that can incriminate him. The entrepreneur also anticipated that he will not answer any question of the CPMI rapporteur, Deputy Alfredo Gaspar (Union/AL).
“This is because, at the meeting in which the testimony of Mr. Rubens was taken, his excellence [Gaspar] He said for more than once that I am a retirees’ money thief without giving me a chance of defense. That is, the rapporteur already judged me and condemned without even heard me, ”said Antunes, referring to economist Rubens Oliveira Costa, summoned to testify last Monday (22), as a partner of Antunes and suspected of involvement in the scheme of illegal discounts.
Despite the silence of the deponent, The rapporteur asked the questions he had planned, taking the time to counter aspects of Antunes’ initial speech, noting that the businessman and his direct partners created or received the power of attorney to represent several of the entities investigated by the PF, and it is impossible for him not to know about the fraud.
“You set up associative companies, unions and associations that, in the end, withdrew $ 2 billion from retirees and pensioners. [possível] because the Brazilian state allowed this corruption. You had an AMBEC power of attorney [Associação dos Aposentados Mutualistas para Benefícios Coletivos]. Ninety -seven percent of the members of this association said they did not allow associative discounts. Unaspub [União Nacional de Auxílio aos Servidores Públicos] took from the Brazilian people R $ 267 million. [Dos seus filiados entrevistados] 97.6% said they did not allow the associative discount. Why did the Careca of the INSS have received so many millions from Unaspub? AAPPS/UNIRVERVERSE [Associação dos Aposentados e Pensionistas dos Regimes Geral e Próprio de Previdência Social] You received millions of reais. And she won from the people $ 255 million. ”
During a break from the meeting, the vice-president of the committee, Deputy Duarte Jr (PSB-MA), commented on the first part of Antunes’s statement. “He denies participation [no esquema]denies political influences, claims to be an entrepreneur, a service provider, but it is important to clarify what these services are – which has not yet been clarified, as well as because in these [suas] companies there are no [funcionários com] Wallet, employees, clear relationships of which services were provided and to whom. ”
*Updated article at 1:38 pm and 4:31 pm to add CPMI developments from the INSS
