Senator Chico Rodrigues, who represents the state of Roraima within the Federal Senate, confirmed that the raid happened in his dwelling in Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Based on a Supreme Courtroom order citing the police investigation, police video allegedly confirmed Rodrigues with about 15,000 reais (about $2,700) stuffed into his briefs throughout their search of his dwelling. Extra money was discovered by authorities when the senator allegedly “put his hand inside his underwear and took different bundles of cash totaling 17,900 reais” the order says, for a complete cache price greater than $5,800.
The decide didn’t authorize the discharge of the movies.
The court docket order, issued on Thursday, suspends Rodrigues for 90 days to make sure compliance with the continued investigation.
CNN Brasil has reached out to Rodrigues’ workplace for remark.
Nonetheless, in a press release to the press, Rodrigues recommended that the search was an try and tarnish his fame. “I had my dwelling invaded for simply doing my job as a parliamentarian, bringing sources to combat Covid-19 for the state’s well being division,” he wrote.
“I’ll show that I haven’t got and that I did not have something to do with any wrongdoing,” he wrote.
Brazilian Supreme Federal Courtroom Minister Luis Roberto Barroso wrote that the investigation was vital to find out if Rodrigues was “utilizing his parliamentary operate to divert cash destined to face the largest pandemic of the final 100 years.”
Based on the court docket order, “there are indicators of the participation of the senator in prison group geared toward deviating values supposed for the measures associated to Covid-19 within the state of Roraima.” The Federal Police investigators additionally stated that “the cash discovered within the senator’s physique in the course of the raid has not had their lawful origin confirmed, being extremely prone to consequence from the crime of embezzlement positive aspects practiced as a consequence of overpriced contracts investigated.”
Federal legislators in Brazil are shielded from prison prosecution typically by parliamentary immunity.
The raid was a part of a collection carried out by police of their investigation into the potential misuse of public sources earmarked to fight the coronavirus pandemic, which has ravaged Brazil. Greater than 152,000 individuals have died, and greater than 5.1 million have been contaminated, making it the nation with the third highest variety of circumstances on the earth.
Rodrigues had been chosen as the federal government’s deputy chief by President Bolsonaro, who campaigned for workplace on an anti-corruption platform.
“I say to those that know me: keep calm. I belief within the justice and I’ll show that I haven’t got and that I did not have something to do with any wrongdoing,” Rodrigues wrote in his assertion.
