Justice Flávio Dino of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) imposed precautionary measures on federal deputy Mario Frias (PL-SP) on Thursday (10). The lawmaker is barred from leaving Brazil and from any contact with the other suspects in an inquiry into the diversion of public money from congressional budget earmarks, the "Dark Horse" case. According to G1, the restrictions cover all 29 targets of Operation Make Up, launched by the Federal Police together with the Office of the Comptroller General (CGU).
The operation served 49 search and seizure warrants in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Ceara and the Federal District. Alongside Frias, producer Karina Gama is one of the main targets. Two entities she owns, the Instituto Conhecer Brasil (ICB) and the Academia Nacional de Cultura (ANC), were also searched. Because cases against sitting federal lawmakers in Brazil are heard by the STF, the inquiry runs before Dino.
What the inquiry investigates
According to the Federal Police, a criminal organization of public and private actors allegedly channeled public funds to a civil society organization and from there to irregularly subcontracted companies, with no proof that the services were delivered. Investigators point to financial movements in the hundreds of millions of reais and attempts to hide the diversions that lasted until July. The inquiry covers embezzlement, document forgery, money laundering, criminal organization and public bidding crimes.
A CGU audit found signs of irregularity in the routing of a 2 million reais earmark Frias indicated for entities tied to Karina Gama, G1 reported. Frias is the screenwriter and executive producer of "Dark Horse", an unreleased film about the career of former president Jair Bolsonaro starring the American actor Jim Caviezel. In May, in a filing to the STF, the deputy denied that the earmarks went to "any film production".
Searches, reactions and next steps
During the raids, the Federal Police seized seven firearms registered in Frias's name at an address that is not the lawmaker's, which opened an investigation into illegal possession of a weapon; his cellphone was also seized, according to G1. Frias's office did not reply to state news agency Agencia Brasil, and TV Globo received no response from the deputy or from Gama's defense. In a phone call to columnist Monica Bergamo of Folha de S.Paulo the day before the search, Gama said she feels threatened and that, "if arrested, she has nothing to reveal". She said people posing as court officers rang her doorbell at 9 p.m. without showing identification.
The case remains with Dino as the reporting justice, and the Federal Police and the CGU are examining the seized material. Separately, according to Agencia Brasil, the STF is reviewing in a distinct case, under Justice Andre Mendonca, the transfer of 61 million reais from banker Daniel Vorcaro to the film.