Senators Ciro Nogueira and Soraya Thronicke reported the interference of lobbyists to halt the investigations of the commission in exchange for millionaire sums.
Brazil.- An investigation by VEJA magazine reveals that the Parliamentary Commission of Investigation (CPI) on Betting was listening to a representative of a company, on Tuesday, December 3, when a discussion started between senators Ciro Nogueira and Soraya Thronicke. The CPI reporter, the parliamentarian stated during the hearing that she would summon the "Bolsonaro government" to find out why the sector was not regulated during the former president's administration. Nogueira was the Chief Minister of the Civil House during that administration and it was there when tempers flared and a harsh exchange began:
Nogueira: -Can you explain to me why I should call the Bolsonaro government?
Thronicke: – The Bolsonaro government had two years to regulate, but it did not.
Nogueira: -Do you think this will be of any benefit to the country, senator?
Thronicke: – Consult the legislation to understand it.
Nogueira: – You are nobody's teacher.
Thronicke: -I owe you no explanations.
This dialogue reconstructed by VEJA could be just one of the many exchanges that occur in the parliamentary setting between two councilors from different benches. However, Nogueira went further and the case escalated: "Soon it will be you who will have to give many explanations here", said the senator.
Immediately after the end of the meeting, Ciro Nogueira sought the president of Congress, Rodrigo Pacheco, to inform him about something "very serious" that was happening behind the scenes in the commission. He reported that a well-known lobbyist from Brasilia was extorting businessmen linked to the betting sector. Moreover, according to this accusation there would be an association between this lobby and the members of the CPI.
The scheme would replicate a well-known criminal method: parliamentarians submit requests summoning representatives of the companies to testify. Then, the lobbyist knocks on the company's door, says he has access and influence over certain congressmen, and asks for a sum of money to reverse the summons. In the conversation with Pacheco, Senator Nogueira reported that the plot is already being investigated by the Federal Police, since a businessman from the sector confirmed that he had been approached by the lobbyist, who allegedly demanded R$ 40m (USD 6.6m).
Nogueira, who was accompanied by Senator Rogério Carvalho, said that the victim of the attack owns a betting website and was warned that he would be summoned to testify in the CPI. Subsequently, the lobbyist showed up and said he could avoid the "embarrassment", but that it would have a "cost".
The businessman refused to pay. It wasn't long before the citation request was approved. Nogueira did not directly accuse Soraya Thronicke of being involved in the alleged scheme. The senator, however, recalled that the reporter of the commission, who is responsible for coordinating and supervising the investigation, not only knows but also maintains a close relationship with the lobbyist who allegedly tried to extort the businessman. When contacted, Nogueira did not want to comment. He limited himself to saying that the complaint had come to his knowledge and that he had taken "the appropriate measures".
According to VEJA, Silvio de Assis, the lobbyist in question, is a very well-known character in the parallel universe of Brasilia politics. Reports indicate that he has powerful friends in different parties and is one of the main lobbyists in the country. Moreover, he was arrested in 2018 when a businessman said he had been waiting for more than five years to register an entity, when Silvio de Assis approached him and asked for R$ 3m (USD 500,000) to "solve" the problem. The extortion was documented in audio and video, de Assis was accused of corruption, but the case has not yet been judged. Regarding the CPI, he claims he does not know why his name was involved in the case and says he closely follows the work of the commission.
See also: Online betting platforms in Brazil: irregularities in the authorization process are reported
For her part, Soraya Thronicke refuted the insinuations, confirmed that she knows the lobbyist, highlighted that there is no friendly relationship between them, and stated that, indeed, there are strong indications that something serious is happening behind the scenes in the CPI, but not in relation to her. The senator says she heard an audio message sent to a businessman called to testify in which a senator asked for R$ 100m (USD 16m) to "resolve the matter with Soraya".
Contrary to what Ciro Nogueira concluded, this parliamentarian involved by Thronicke would be using her name to tarnish her reputation. Thronicke, however, did not reveal the identity of the colleague or the businessman approached, but assured that she had referred the complaint to the Federal Police. The two stories of extortion are serious and need to be clarified.
