Pixuleko, inflatable doll of former President Lula (Paulo Whitaker / Reuters)
Researchers suspect that a provisional measure (MP) edited in 2009 by the then government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) has been "bought" through lobbying and corruption to encourage automakers. Sector companies negotiated payments of up to 36 million reais to lobbyists, one target of Operation Zealots, to get the Executive a 'normative act "that it extend fiscal incentives of 1.3 billion reais per year. Messages exchanged between those involved mention the offer of bribes to public officials to enable text, in force until the end of this year.
To be published, the MP 471 has passed through the sieve of President Dilma Rousseff, then Chief of Staff. Notes of one of the involved in the scheme also describe a meeting with the then Minister Gilberto Carvalho to address the standard, four days before the text to edit. One of the firms that worked to enable the measure did transfers of 2.4 million reais a son of former President Lula, the businessman Luis Claudio Lula da Silva, in 2011, the year that the MP entered into force.
The script to influence government relief policies and score the MP is described in lobbying contracts agreed before the edition of the standard. According to the documents, MMC Automotores, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi in Brazil, and the CAOA Group (vehicle manufacturer Hyundai and dealer of the brands Ford, Hyundai and Subaru) pay fees to a "consortium" formed by the SGR Consultoria offices, lawyer Jose Ricardo da Silva, and Marcondes & Mautoni Ventures, owned by Mauro Marcondes Machado, for the extension of fiscal largesse for at least five years. The incentives expire on 31 December 2010, the case did not continue.
The contracts dating from 11 and 19 November 2009. On the 20th of that month, former President Lula signed the MP 471, stretching from 2011 to 2015, the discount policy in the IPI cars produced in three regions (North, Northeast and Midwest). At the time, Ford had a factory in Bahia and CAOA and Mitsubishi factories in Goiás. The standard corresponds to what was claimed in the documents. In March next year, Congress approved the text, converting it into Law 12,218 / 2010. Suspicions of corruption to enable the relief emerged in emails exchanged by involved in the case.
One of the messages of October 15, 2010, says there was "agreement for approval by the MP 471" and Mauro Marcondes covenanted delivery of 4 million reais a "people's government, PT" but lacked the commitment. In addition, it suggests the participation of "representatives and senators" in the negotiations. There is, however, mention the names of public officials allegedly involved.
The email says that trading stitched by representatives of the lobbying firms allowed the MP 471. The sender - who identifies himself as "Raimundo Lima," but whose real name is kept confidential - asks the founding partner of MMC in Brazil, Eduardo Sousa Ramos, intercede with the CAOA for it to resume payments.
Unlike the representative of Mitsubishi in Brazil, CAOA would have participated in the settlement, but retreated in time to make payments. One of the lobbyists would not have transferred money to others involved. "This (Mauro Marcondes Machado) is diverting resources, which have not reaching the people due (...) I communicate to you the enclosed agreement for the approval of the MP 471, the value of their knowledge. (...) Mr. . Mauro Marcondes claims to have delivered the people of the current government, PT, the amount of 4 million, which (sic) is not true, "claims.
The message, entitled "Eduardo Sousa Ramos (confidential)" was sent to 16h54 for "Raymond" the executive secretary of MMC, Lilian Pina, who relayed the Marcondes half an hour later. The sender writes that if the money not flowed, could expose a dossier and recordings with details of the negotiations. "The form of complaint to be used will be recording the times I was with Mauro Marcondes, Carlos Alberto and Anwar," he warns, referring to entrepreneurs CAOA. "I give until 21 to be passed me the amount of 1.5 million dollars," threat.
The two consultancy firms confirm that they have acted to score the MP 471, but deny that the work involved lobby or pay bribes.
Both are investigated for acting for automakers in the corruption scheme in Carf (Board of Tax Appeals). The MMC and CAOA report having hired Marcondes & Mautoni but deny that the goal was to "purchase" of the Provisional Measure. Owner of the SGR, José Ricardo was Business Partner lobbyist Alexandre Paes dos Santos, attached to the lawyer Erenice Guerra, executive secretary of the Civil House Dilma when the MP was discussed. Marcondes is vice president of Anfavea, which represents the MMC and CAOA.
(With Estadão Content)
