Suspected of corruption, Rio de Janeiro governor to have records scrutinized

Rio de Janeiro Governor Cláudio Castro. Photo: Joédson Alves/ABr

The Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Brazil’s second highest judicial body, authorized law enforcement to scrutinize Rio de Janeiro Governor Cláudio Castro’s communications, fiscal, and banking records as part of an investigation into alleged misappropriation of public funds in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

On Wednesday, federal agents raided the home of Mr. Castro’s stepbrother, Vinícius Sarciá Rocha. Mr. Rocha serves as chairman of the board at AgeRio, a state-level agency that fosters development through subsidized corporate loans.

In a statement, the feds said the operation was carried out to investigate the crimes of conspiracy, embezzlement, corruption, and money laundering during the execution of social programs in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Feds have not yet provided public information on Mr. Rocha’s exact involvement in the alleged crimes. Local press reports that police found BRL 128,000 (equivalent to USD 26,000) in cash at his home, plus USD 7,500.

Wednesday’s investigation was dubbed Operation Seventh Commandment (“Thou shalt not steal”). Before taking office as lieutenant governor in 2019 and then governor in 2020, Mr. Castro made a name for himself as a Catholic singer.

In a statement sent to The Brazilian Report, Mr. Castro’s office belittled the operation, saying it “does not bring any new elements” to a probe that has been long ongoing. In April, the STJ greenlit an investigation against the governor. “There is nothing against him, no evidence,” the statement says.

Back in 2020, Mr. Castro was among dozens of suspects of embezzling pandemic-era contracts in Rio de Janeiro. Since Brazil’s redemocratization, all living governors of Rio de Janeiro have been arrested or removed from office. The only ones who have not faced lawsuits are Benedita da Silva and Nilo Batista, lieutenant governors who took over the top job after the departure of the respective firsts-in-command.