The Federal Police seized two cell phones in the freezer of the home of Netinho Reis (MDB), elected mayor of Duque de Caxias, in Baixada Fluminense. According to PF sources, the devices were hidden next to tubs of ice cream, as soon as the agents arrived at the property.
Netinho is one of the 22 targets of the PF operation, this Friday (13), in four municipalities in Rio de Janeiro.
The action investigates a criminal organization suspected of buying votes, money laundering and ideological falsehood. The group made up of politicians and businesspeople operates in the cities of Duque de Caxias and São João de Meriti.
The investigations began in October, when a man was arrested in the act with R$1.9 million in cash, on suspicion of buying votes, in Duque de Caxias. According to the PF, it has been operating in Baixada Fluminense for many years.
The Federal Police also points out that the gang used millions of dollars to illegally finance the campaigns of candidates for political office. Investigations indicate that companies hired by the public authorities participated in the scheme.
In addition to the elected mayor of Duque de Caxias, the targets of searches were the Secretary of Transport of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Washington Reis; the mayor of Duque de Caxias, Wilson Reis; the state deputy, Valdecy da Saúde; in addition to the councilor of Duque de Caxias, Fernanda Costa (MDB), who is the daughter of drug dealer Fernandinho Beira-Mar, and 11 other councilors.
THE CNN found that the Federal Police seized two cars from the home of Washington Reis, in Duque de Caxias, in addition to more than R$ 2,285,500.00 from the home of Wellington da Rosa, an ally of Valdecy da Saúde and an employee of the city hall of São João de Meriti.
In a statement, the current mayor, Wilson Reis, said he has no involvement in the aforementioned case.
Netinho Reis stated that all his campaign accounts were approved by the courts.
“The Federal Police itself informed that my name did not appear in the manuscript seized by the agents and that it supposedly pointed out irregularities during the campaign”, wrote the elected mayor. The politician made himself available to authorities for clarification.
THE CNN Washington Reis denied involvement in irregularities.
THE CNN try to contact the others mentioned. The space remains open for demonstrations.
This content was originally published in Video: PF seizes cell phones in the freezer of the elected mayor of Duque de Caxias (RJ) on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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