Deputy Kim Kataguiri asks PGR to investigate Electoral Use of Culture Committee

Federal Deputy Kim Kataguiri (Union) presented on Monday, 10, a representation to the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, after the Estadão reveal the pressure for culture committees created in petista management to help in the election of allies in 2024.

In audio revealed by the report, PT’s National Secretary of Women, Anne Moura, said the committees created by Lula and Margareth Menezes were used for electoral purposes for the endorsement of the folder. Created in September 2023, the National Culture Committees Program (PNCC) will cost R $ 58.8 million by the end of this year with artist mobilization, support and training actions. It is one of the main initiatives of the folder and was announced by Lula still in the pre-campaign of 2022.

In a recorded and registered meeting, Anne Moura would have pressured the then Chief of the Amazon Committee, Marcos Rodrigues, to direct the program structure to his own campaign to councilwoman in Manaus.

After the complaints, the Ministry of Culture determined the suspension of activities and blocking resources from the Amazon Culture Committee, claiming “inconsistencies”, “expressive failures” and transparency problems.

Kataguiri asks PGR to establish an investigative procedure to investigate possible illicit committed by Anne Moura and the other public and political agents involved and the establishment of public civil action for administrative misconduct. The deputy also requests communication to the Federal Court of Audit (TCU) to carry out an audit in the expenses of the National Culture Committee Program (PNCC) and adoption of measures in the electoral sphere, to investigate the possible abuse of political and economic power.

The representation also calls for the conduct of the executive secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Márcio Tavares, the Secretariat of Culture Committees, Roberta Cristina Martins, the National Secretariat of Women of the Workers Party, Anne Karolyne Moura, and the former chief of the Amazonas Culture Committee, Marcos Rodrigues.

In a note to EstadãoAnne Moura stated that her questions to the former president of the cultural entity “may be being reproduced outside her context” and that the former ally tries to tarnish her image. The Ministry of Culture stated that report on the performance of servers of the portfolio is untrue and said that the Amazonas Committee had suspended activities and resources temporarily blocked to investigate possible irregularities.