UFRJ and PortosRio probe R$35 million scholarship agreement

The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) opened an internal investigation to examine a R$35 million agreement with the state-owned company PortosRio after a UOL report alleged that scholarship funds were awarded to individuals with political ties. The university suspended further payments and asked the Fundação Universitária José Bonifácio (FUJB), which manages the project’s finances, for clarification.

The investigation found that many beneficiaries were linked to political parties, candidates, advisers, and relatives of politicians, with more than 300 identified as having direct political connections. PortosRio agreed to a joint inquiry, halted payments related to the contested portion of the pact, and said it would revise the selection process for scholarship recipients. Both institutions denied wrongdoing while pledging to ensure transparency and proper use of public resources.