Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Wednesday that former Minister of Education Milton Ribeiro, investigated for corruption in a scandal involving public funds and evangelical pastors, will have been arrested this Wednesday, according to local media, responsible for his actions.
the case of milton [Ribeiro] as far as I know, it is that question that he would be talking too informally with some of his trusted people. There was a complaint that he would have sought mayors, his people, to negotiate, to release resources, this and that, ”said the Brazilian president, in an interview with Itatiaia radio.
“What’s going on? We pushed him away. If there’s a prison, it’s the Federal Police, it’s a sign that the Federal Police is acting. He will answer for his actions.Bolsonaro added.
The statement by the Brazilian head of state indicates a change in attitude since in March, when the local media denounced the scandal over an alleged corruption plot involving evangelical pastors and the former minister, he said he trusted Ribeiro.
“I set my face on fire for Milton [Ribeiro]what they are doing to him is cowardice,” the President said during his weekly live broadcast on social networks, after the scandal was revealed in March.
The accusations against evangelical pastors and members of the Brazilian government, who have acted together to allegedly favor the churches, became a scandal in Brazil after the revelation of an audio in which Ribeiro, who is also an evangelical Presbyterian pastor, assured that the budget public of the portfolio that he commanded would have among his priorities to promote projects of evangelical churches linked to the Government.
“My priority is to assist, first of all, the municipalities that need it most and, secondly, to assist all those who are friends of Pastor Gilmar,” Milton Ribeiro said, according to the recording published by the Folha de S newspaper. Paul.
The former Minister of Education stated, in the recording, that the priority given to the priest “was a special request made by the brazilian presidentJair Bolsonaro”, but later ended up denying this statement.
The Brazilian Federal Police carried out an operation on Wednesday to investigate the alleged practice of influence peddling and corruption for the release of public resources in the country’s Ministry of Education in a case involving a former minister and evangelical pastors.
According to information from the Brazilian media, the former Minister of Education Milton Ribeiro and the evangelical pastors Gilmar Santos and Arilton Moura are subject to arrest warrants and have already been arrested, information not yet confirmed by the authorities.
The media reported that Ribeiro was arrested at his home in the city of Santos, on the coast of the state of São Paulo, and should be transferred to São Paulo and Brasilia.
In a note, without identifying the objectives of the arrest warrants, the Brazilian Federal Police reported that the operation, called Acesso Pago, is being carried out today “based on documents, testimonies and the final report of the preliminary summary investigation of the Comptroller General of Justice. the Union, gathered in police investigation, [e] Possible indications of criminal practice were identified for the release of public funds.”
about the operation 13 search warrants and five arrest warrants are being executed in the states of Goiás, São Paulo, Pará, in addition to the Federal District. Other various precautionary measures were also applied, such as the prohibition of contacts between the investigated and those implicated.
According to the police authority, the investigation began with the authorization of the Federal Supreme Court, due to the privileged jurisdiction of one of those investigated.
The orders were issued by the Federal Criminal Court 15 of the Judicial Section of the Federal District.
Source: Observadora
