Minister of Communications, Juscelino Filho decides to resign after complaint of the PGR
The Minister of Communications, Juscelino Filho (Union Brazil), decided to resign from office after being denounced by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) on suspicion of involvement in a deviation scheme of parliamentary amendments during his mandate as a federal deputy.
The decision was articulated during a lunch reserved on Tuesday (8), in Brasilia, which was attended by the Minister of Institutional Relations, Gleisi Hoffmann, and leaders of União Brasil, at the residence of the party’s president, Antonio Rueda, according to information from Portal Metropolis.
Although the meeting was already scheduled before the complaint surfaced, he eventually became the stage for the political definition that culminated in Juscelino’s departure.
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According to reports, Gleisi Hoffmann signaled that the government would prefer the minister to deliver his dismissal letter, avoiding the political wear and tear of a direct dismissal by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT). The interlocutors, Lula himself had already indicated that he would remove Juscelino if the PGR complaint was formalized and accepted by the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
In an interview with UOL In June 2023, Lula stated that Juscelino would remain in office only until the formalization of a complaint. “If the prosecutor indicates you, you know you have to change position. As long as there is no indictment, you are still minister. If any, it will be removed,” said the president at the time.
Juscelino is expected to deliver your dismissal letter later this Tuesday. The name of the substitute should be indicated by the Union Brazil bench in the House. One of the most listed to take office is the party leader at home, Pedro Lucas Fernandes (MA), who accompanied Lula on trips to Japan and Vietnam in late March.
Denunciation and investigation
The complaint of the PGR is the first presented by Paulo Gonet, current attorney general, against a minister of the first level of the Lula administration. The case investigates alleged irregularities in the destination of amendments for paving works in the city of Vitorino Freire (MA), where Juscelino’s sister, Luanna Rezende, was mayor.
A report from Estadãopublished in January 2023, revealed that at least R $ 5 million were used to pave a road that goes through a farm belonging to the minister’s family. In total, Juscelino would have directed more than $ 50 million in amendments of the so -called “secret budget” during his mandate in the House. The execution of the works was under the responsibility of Codevasf (São Francisco and Parnaíba Valleys Development Company).
The Federal Police completed the investigation in June 2023, assigning the minister the crimes of corruption, money laundering and criminal organization.
