Supreme Court lifts confidentiality: Dino names Frias as leader of diversion scheme linked to "Dark Horse"
Justice Minister Flávio Dino lifted the confidentiality of an investigation and indicated that deputy Mario Frias would have a central role in a scheme to divert public funds. The case involves possible financing of a Bolsonaro biopic.
Dino names Frias as leader of diversion scheme linked to "Dark Horse" film
As reported by g1.globo.com, Justice Minister Flávio Dino of the Supreme Court (STF) stated on Sunday (13) that ongoing investigations have gathered evidence that federal deputy Mario Frias (PL-SP) played a leadership role in a criminal scheme involving the diversion of public resources. The decision, in addition to lifting confidentiality from documents sent by the Justice system of the State of São Paulo, unified under Dino's oversight inquiries that examine possible diversions and concealment of funds.
"There is repeated reference, in the course of the alleged criminal activity, to a federal deputy, Mr Mario Frias, who in the hypothetical framework of the investigation would occupy a leadership role in the alleged criminal architecture," Dino wrote in his ruling.
Parliamentary amendments and municipal funds at the centre of the investigation
The investigation whose confidentiality was lifted encompasses federal resources from parliamentary amendments and municipal funds from agreements signed with the São Paulo Municipal Government. Among the points suspected by the Federal Police is the possibility that part of these resources financed the biopic "Dark Horse", about former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).
On the previous Thursday (10), Frias described the police operation as a "smokescreen". In a social media post, the deputy denied any irregularities, stated he was willing to collaborate with the submission of documents, and said he was confident in the dismissal of the case.
Closed financial circuit, according to the Federal Police
According to Dino's ruling, which reproduces representations from the Federal Police, the continuation of parallel investigations at state and federal levels hindered the elucidation of the facts. For the Federal Police, the schemes under investigation are not isolated, but compose a single unified context designed to capture, circulate and conceal public funds.
Investigators identified that the company Complexsys Soluções Integradas Ltda., hired by the Instituto Conhecer Brasil (ICB) to execute projects funded with public resources, received direct transfers from deputy Frias himself. In parallel, the company returned resources to the ICB and transferred funds to the Academia Nacional de Cultura (ANC), a third-sector entity managed by businesswoman Karina Ferreira da Gama — the same administrator of the ICB and producer of the Bolsonaro biopic.
"This circulation of resources between the parliamentarian, the executing entity, the contracted company and another beneficiary organisation is incompatible with independent business relations and economically justified dealings," the Federal Police stated. "On the contrary, it evidences a closed financial circuit, characteristic of structures designed for the circulation, fragmentation and reintroduction of values among members of the same operational nucleus."
Financial movements incompatible with declared income
The financial intelligence data detailed in the ruling revealed that Frias also made transfers to the company Go Up Entertainment Ltda., owned by Karina Gama, in amounts significantly incompatible with his declared earnings and with the normal receipts of his bank accounts.
For the Federal Police, this factor removes the parliamentarian from the role of mere author of budgetary amendments. "This circumstance means that he transcends the status of mere author of parliamentary amendments subsequently diverted by third parties, and places the federal parliamentarian as an active participant in the financial mechanism under investigation," the investigators stated.
Patrimonial confusion and cancelled invoices
The investigation by the São Paulo Civil Police, named Operation Wi-Fi, also identified severe patrimonial confusion: the ICB, Go Up Entertainment and G07 Assessoria formally operated at the same commercial address on Avenida Paulista. Experts and investigators also identified invoices issued in sequential numbering on the same date with identical due dates, without proof of effective service provision by subcontracted companies. Additionally, invoices worth R$ 2 million were cancelled shortly after issuance to the municipal Treasury.
Source: Google News BR — São Paulo