The president of the Federal Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), declared, this Wednesday (22), that the opening of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) of the Ministry of Education (MEC) could be jeopardized due to the proximity of the elections. . The speech comes after the arrest of former minister Milton Ribeiro by the Federal Police (PF).
“The position of the Senate Presidency in relation to requests from the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry must be a linear position, obedient to the Constitution and the bylaws. Therefore, this and other requirements must comply with the requirements required for consideration by the Senate Presidency. And if the requirements are met, any and all CPIs will be installed,” said Pacheco.
“Evidently, regarding the aspect of convenience and opportunity, without ignoring the importance of the CPI institute, in the pre-election moment and very close to the elections, this is in fact something that undermines the scope of a CPI, which is an impartial investigation. , which is the time required and the composition itself of her and all the dedicated senators. So, the fact that it is very close to the elections ends up harming the work of this or any other CPI that may be installed”, he continued.
Asked if he would hold the installation of the CPI for the elections, Pacheco explained that the evaluation would be carried out after the submission of the application, and that “maybe it is the case to submit this assessment to the college of party leaders.”
Marcelo Castro (MDB-PI), chairman of the Education Committee in the Senate, commented to the CNN that a “CPI of the MEC” would be a valuable instrument to overcome the current crisis in education.
“It can help a lot [uma CPI], because it is a very strong instrument. The commission has police validity, people are obliged to appear, they give evidence under oath and you can also break the confidentiality of these people”, said the senator.
As an example, Castro cited pastors accused of operating a parallel system within the MEC. “You break a bank secrecy on a pastor like that and you find a mountain of money, that’s a scandal,” he says, highlighting the political power of the commissions.
Understand the complaints that overthrew Milton Ribeiro from MEC
In an audio obtained by the newspaper “Folha de S.Paulo” and in reports from “O Estado de S. Paulo”, Ribeiro is involved in what would be a scheme to favor pastors in the ministry.
In a recorded conversation, the minister says that he received a request from President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) for the release of funds from the portfolio to be directed to specific prefectures from the negotiation made by two evangelical pastors who do not hold positions in the federal government.
In the recording, Ribeiro says that it is “a special request from the President of the Republic”. “It was a special request that the President of the Republic made to me on the issue of [pastor] Gilmar”, says the minister in a conversation with mayors and two other pastors, according to the newspaper.
Ribeiro continues: “Because my priority is to first serve the municipalities that need it most and, second, to serve all those who are friends of Pastor Gilmar.”
Pastors Gilmar Santos and Arilton Moura are mentioned in the audios. According to the newspaper, the two religious men have been negotiating with city governments to release federal funds for works in day care centers, schools and the purchase of technology equipment.
In the leaked conversation, Bolsonaro’s minister indicates that, with the release of resources, there may be a counterpart.
“The support we ask for is no secret, it can be [inaudível] it is support on building churches”. In the audios, it is not clear how this support would be given.
Last year, to save parliamentary amendments from a bigger cut, the government blocked R$9.2 billion of expenses from ministries and state agencies, which mainly affect Education.
Ribeiro denied that he favored pastors. In a note sent to CNN the minister also said that the president “did not ask anyone for preferential assistance, he only asked that he could receive everyone who came to us”.
Ribeiro left the Ministry of Education on March 28.
“I will not say goodbye, I will say see you soon”, says the Minister of Education in the letter delivered to Bolsonaro. Ribeiro is the subject of an investigation by the Federal Police (PF) and the Federal Supreme Court (STF) on suspicion of favoring pastors in the distribution of funds from the Ministry of Education (MEC).
In the letter, Ribeiro says that his life “has undergone a major transformation” since the publication of a report that implicated him in a scheme to favor pastors within the MEC.
In an exclusive interview with the policy analyst at CNN Renata Agostini, the current Minister of Education, Victor Godoy, said that he ordered all transfers from the portfolio that are being investigated to be suspended.
Source: CNN Brasil
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