The Brazilian Federal Police recommended that prosecutors bring forth charges of corruption, money laundering, and criminal association against Juscelino Filho, the country’s communications minister.
The recommendation was first reported by the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo and confirmed by the Communications Ministry to The Brazilian Report.
Mr. Filho is accused of illegally directing money from congressional budgetary earmarks to a city governed by his sister — even using public funds to pave a road that crosses farms belonging to their family, as an early 2023 report revealed.
His crimes were allegedly committed during Mr. Filho’s stint as a congressman between 2017 and 2022. (He was elected to a third straight term but took a leave of absence to join President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s cabinet.)
“As a congressman, I only suggested parliamentary earmarks to pay for public works. Their bidding, payment, and supervision are the responsibility of the Executive Branch and other competent bodies,” he told The Brazilian Report in a statement.
The scandal revolved around congressional budgetary earmarks, instruments that allow lawmakers to control...
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