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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

2 clusters · 27 sources · 4 days · First seen 3 days ago · Last updated about 10 hours ago

Categories: POLITICS

Brazil Operação Sem Desconto investigation

Entities: Weverton Rocha · Willer Tomaz · Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social · Brazil · Alexandre Ramagem

Overview

Authorities are investigating "Operação Sem Desconto," a suspected billion-real scheme involving irregular discounts on INSS pensions and retiree benefits, money laundering, and asset hiding.

Initially, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR) argued that Federal Police search warrants against lawyer Willer Tomaz and relatives of Senator Weverton Rocha were premature, suggesting that investigators should instead rely on bank and fiscal secrecy breaks. However, Supreme Court Minister André Mendonça authorized the search and seizure warrants, allowing the operation to proceed. Senator Rocha has denied wrongdoing, characterizing the investigation as political persecution and maintaining that his financial activities are legitimate.

In a subsequent phase of the investigation, the Federal Police discovered a photograph on Senator Rocha's mobile phone showing him and several high-profile politicians alongside the investigated lawyer, Willer Tomaz, at a luxury property in April 2023. Investigators are currently examining financial links between Tomaz and Rocha, including an alleged R$ 11 million transfer to the senator's wife and the purchase of the senator's residence by a company connected to the lawyer.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 10 SOURCES] Federal Police found a photograph on Senator Weverton Rocha's phone showing him and several politicians in a pool with lawyer Willer Tomaz. (Federal Police)
[● 8 SOURCES] The photograph was taken on April 23, 2023, at Rancho Tomaz, a property owned by Willer Tomaz in Planaltina. (Federal Police)
[● 7 SOURCES] Operation Sem Desconto is investigating money laundering related to fraud in INSS pensions and retirements. (Federal Police)
[● 4 SOURCES] Lawyer Willer Tomaz denied any involvement in the investigated facts and claimed the photo was leaked illegally. (Willer Tomaz)
[● 4 SOURCES] Senator Weverton Rocha stated the photo leak has no connection to the investigation and has a political-electoral bias. (Weverton Rocha)
[● 2 SOURCES] Investigators are looking into R$ 11 million transferred from Tomaz-related companies to the wife of Senator Weverton Rocha. (Federal Police)
[● 2 SOURCES] The investigation involves the potential use of gas stations and other entities to hide the origin of resources. (Federal Police)
[● 2 SOURCES] Deputy Paulo Azi confirmed he has known Willer Tomaz for several years and was present at the gathering. (Paulo Azi)

Timeline

about 10 hours ago

[POLITICS] 13 sources
Brazilian Federal Police find photo of politicians with investigated lawyer
Federal Police found a photo on Senator Weverton Rocha's phone showing him and various politicians in a pool with lawyer Willer Tomaz, an investigator in an INSS pension fraud case.
3 days ago

[POLITICS] 14 sources
Senator Weverton Rocha's family searches deemed premature by PGR
PGR called searches of Senator Weverton Rocha’s lawyer and relatives premature; Supreme Court still approved them in the “Operação Sem Desconto” probe of alleged INSS discount fraud.

Sources

blogdomagno.com.br · br.paipee.com · cbn.globo.com · congressoemfoco.uol.com.br · dgabc.com.br · diariodocentrodomundo.com.br · diariodoestadogo.com.br · diegoemir.com · foody.cn · gilbertoleda.com.br · jcatibaia.com.br · jornaldebrasilia.com.br · jovempanfm.com.br · mittelaltergazette.de · netoferreira.com.br · oantagonista.com.br · oinformante.blog.br · opiniaoenoticia.com.br · politica.estadao.com.br · revistaforum.com.br · seucreditodigital.com.br · seudinheiro.com · spacemoney.com.br · tecfront.blogosfera.uol.com.br · tnonline.uol.com.br · vitoria.jovempanfm.uol.com.br · wevertonrocha.com.br