General Director commands influence net

Paraná TV Second Edition. Originally broadcasted on March 16th, 2010 (tuesday). 

March 17th, 2010 | Karlos Kohlbach, Katia Brembatti, James Alberti and Gabriel  Tabatcheik 

One of the strongest men of the Legislative Assembly of Paraná, is a behind the scenes person, very discreetly. Abib Michael the Bibinho, is the general director of the House. He does not demonstrate the power it holds. Neither the property that has built over decades in the Legislative of Paraná. 

Respected by state deputies, but unknown by the population, Bibinho moves discreetly. He does not allow to be photographed, does not give interviews and he usually doesn’t go around in the corridors of the Assembly. 

He got prestige, acting as a trusted aide of former President of the House Khury Hannibal, who led the Assembly in several periods from the 80′s and 90′s. With the death of Hannibal in 1999, Bibinho hasn’t lost the power. He was kept in the position by two Presidentes who took turns at power since then: Hermas Brandão and Nelson Justus. 

He is a manager of a fat budget – from $ 319 million in 2009. But He doesn’t have a pen to appoint and remove servers from the Legislative – assignments that is up to the President and the first secretary of the Assembly to do. Still, on the House staff, there is a network of at least 20 persons who are or have already passed by the Legislative, linked to the General Director, and who receive or received salaries from the House. Ten of them admit that they haven’t work in the Assembly. Some provides private services to Bibinho. Others do not even live in Parana. These are the conclusions of an investigation by the Gazeta do Povo and RPCTV for almost two years, based on more than 700 official journals of the Assembly. 

Other documents obtained by this report, reveal that the Assembly has made 624 deposits in bank accounts of servers that have a link with the General Director from 2004 to April 2009, totaling at least $ 11.2 million – an average of $ 18,000 each deposit. 

Particular Gardener 

The public servant group available to Bibinho, starts at his yard, in the neighborhood Seminário, in Curitiba. There works, the gardener Izidoro Vosilk, 82, and Ana Maria Vosilk, his daughter. The Assembly deposited in Vosik account, which held a cousin of the General Director, U.S. $ 192,000 between 2004 and April 2009. Ana Maria received from Assembly £ 38,000 in the same period. 

April 2009, was the month when the House publicized for the first time in history, the list of their servers. But father and daughter are not related in this listing. Unaware he was being recorded, Vosilk confesses that he does not work in the Legislative of Paraná. About Ana Maria, the gardener says that she provides services to the residence of Abib Miguel. 

The management of the House also deposited public money in the Josemi Lara Cichon’s bank account, Bibinho’s sister-in-law. But, strangely, does not recognize her as a public servant, since her name is also not in the list of servers in the Assembly. 

Different of Josemi, Isabel Miguel Stein appears in the staff of the House. She is Bibinho’s daughter, but does not work in the Assembly. Isabel herself admits that, without knowing he was being recorded. A team from the Gazeta do Povo and RPCTV met the General Director’s daughter in São João da Aliança, a small town of Goiás, 286 km from Brasilia. She confirmed that works on the farm owned by Abib. 

In São João da Aliança also works Douglas Bastos Pequeno, who was dismissed from the Assembly in May 2007 and therefore was not on the list of House servers. In a small room inside a hotel protected by security cameras, Bastos Pequeno makes the business accounting of the farmer Bibinho. Although to be not a officially server of the House, the Assembly has made deposits in his account in January, February and April 2009. 

Besides Douglas Bastos Pequeno, 12 other relatives receive it or have already received money from the Assembly. Seven are in the House servers list announced last year. 

Much of this relatives of Douglas Pequeno lives in Balneário Camboriu, Santa Catarina, 220 kilometers from Curitiba. His ex-wife and one of the daughters, are on the staff of the House, but they live peacefully in the city of Santa Catarina. Abib Miguel was approached by this report to comment the allegations. But he did not return. 

Illegality 

José Vicente Santos de Mendonça, Master in Public Law and professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, states the network of General Director relation of the Assembly shown in the article “is a blatant illegality.” “Cases of people being appointed without working, salaries above the constitutional base [to functionalism, which is $ 26.700] and private appropriation of public money constitute crimes,” he says. “Neither the standard excuse of doing a service in another city, applies in this situation, since there are people who work in other states.” 

Working day from two blocks of the sea
Servants of the House live in Camboriu, Santa Catarina, and admit they do not work in the Legislative. 

March, 17th 2010 | Karlos Kohlbach, Katia Brembatti, James Alberti and Gabriel  Tabatcheik 

Two commissioned servants of the Legislative in Paraná, live in Camboriu, on the cost of Santa Catarina well known and frequented by people from Parana. Mariles Prevedelo Pequeno and her daughter, Lorete Prevedelo Pequeno Cury, live in a simple house on a quiet street in the city of Santa Catarina, from two blocks of the sea. Both appear in the list of servers from the House, but do not work in the Legislative. They live far from Parana for over five years. 

The two were found in Camboriu by the report, in the working time, last month. The report of Gazeta do Povo and RPCTV caught Mariles, at 17:30 on 24, leaving home during the afternoon of a normal working day. Pushing a grocery car, she went to a supermarket up the street where she lives. Without knowing that was being recorded, Mariles admitted that her family has lived for six years in the seaside town of Santa Catarina and never worked in the Assembly of Parana. The next day, February 25, around 17:30 hours, Lorete went to the market to buy bread. 

Gina Prevedelo Pequeno, Lorete sister and Mariles daughter and former servant of the Assembly, also without knowing he was being recorded, revealed to the report that the three have already lived in Balneário Camboriú, when the Legislative of Paraná paid their salaries. When asked about the time she lives in the city of Santa Catarina, she replied: “I’ve lived here five years. Then I went to Curitiba, I stayed for year and a half there, but now my mother lives here. ” Then report wondered if his mother (Mariles) and sister (Lorete) lived long in Camboriu. Gina said: “They came with me. There are six and a half years.” 

Vast sums 

Documents obtained exclusively by Gazeta do Povo and the RPCTV, show that between 2004 and 2009, mother and daughter received deposits of the Assembly of at least $ 2.2 million ( $ 1 million to Mariles and $ 1.2 million for Lorete). 

Gina, although is not listed as a servant of the Assembly anymore, also was benefited from deposits of huge sums in the period she was officially on the staff House. From 2004 to 2007, the Assembly has deposited on name of Bibinho’s counter daughter, more than $ 1 million in her bank account. 

The reason for the many blessings of the Assembly for the mother and daughter, may be in the relationship that the two have with Douglas Bastos Pequeno, the counter’s Manager Director farm in Goias, Miguel Abib. Mariles is Douglas’ ex-wife  and Lorete and Gina are their daughters. 

Another Bibinho’s counter relative is also involved in the case. Thiago Cury, Lorete’s son and Douglas Pequeno’s grandson, was hired by the Assembly in June 2007. In the gazettes that the report had access, there is not a exit of Cury, but in a contradiction, he appeared on the list of servers from the House, released in April last year. 

Documents however, show that from June 2007 to February 2009, were deposited 350,000 in the bank account in his name. Cury was approached by this report in Itajaí, a town 9 kilometers from Camboriu and not knowing it was recorded, admitted that he hasn’t worked in the Assembly during the period. 

No answers 

Earlier this week, the report returned to Camboriú to ask for explanations to the family about the payments received by the Assembly. Lorete was approached in her gate house. Seeing the camera RPCTV, she identified herself as Maria Ferreira da Costa, saying that she takes care of  home. Then she admitted be Lorete. But she said she had nothing to say. Yesterday, the reporters tried again by telephone. The information from a person identifying himself as a servant of the house, was that there was no one to talk. 

Bibinho’s farm worth at least $ 50 million 

The quiet way that the General Director Michael Abib, the Bibinho employs to control the Legislative Assembly of Parana in Curitiba, is different in Goias, where he has a farm. In the small town of São João da Aliança, everyone knows the owner of Isabel Farm, the largest in the region. Bibinho is not seen much there, but between the residents prevail the impression that he is a great farmer. 

Isabel Farm is the largest soy producer in the region, as evidenced by the report of the Gazeta do povo and the PRCTV earlier this month. It is a green expanse. The irrigation system is one of the most modern and in the future should be even more efficient, since that the construction work of a dam are in advanced stage. 

Along the road leading to 6000 hectares in Chapadados Viadeiros, a sign warns who ignore the information: Miguel Abib property. One hectare of this land isn’t worth less than $ 7000. Therefore, only Bibinho’s land are estimated at $ 42 million – without taking into account the improvements, which are many, which increases the value to at least $ 50 million. 

The quickest route to get the area, leaving from Curitiba, is catching a flight to Brasilia and by car, head to São João da Aliança – a route that can be done in about two hours. But Bibinho has another option: land by plane in his own farm. In the area there is a hangar, which houses agricultural aircraft, used to apply poison on crops. 

There, the report was met with at least 2 people who receive money from the Assembly, Bibinho’s daughter, Isabel Michael Stein, and his accountant, Douglas Bastos Pequeno. 

Retirements under suspicion
In ten years, 23 effective servers of the Assembly, requested the disability benefits. There are cases of pensioners entitled to vacation and PDV. 

March, 17th 2010 | Karlos Kohlbach, Katia Brembatti, James Alberti and Gabriel  Tabatcheik 

Working in the Legislative Assembly of Paraná can be a rather unhealthy. In more than 700 officials daily House published in the last 10 years, which reporters from Gazeta do Povo and RPCTV had exclusively access, there is the evidence of risk. The data surprises: at least 23 of 79 retirements of house servers in that period – 29% – were on disability. Average of 2 per year. 

For a public servant be retired for disability, is not enough he is ill. There must be proof of disability for work. This is achieved through medical reports, in which case of the Assembly shall be issued by the clinical staff of the House. 

The story of Carlos Edgard Schettini, 80, puts under suspicion the seriousness of the disability retirement process in the Assembly. His retirement is reported daily in 139/140 of 18 October 2000. But Schettini, still enjoys health. He says that in 2000 suffered a stroke and he was away from work in the warehouse sector. Without knowing he was being shot, he went to his gate house to talk to the reporting team at the end of last year, an afternoon of Thursday, when he should be working – since, although retired, had his name published by direction in the relation of House servers, in March 2009. 

Last week, the team report went back to the Schettini home. His new explanation, reinforces the idea of irregularities surrounding the official journals of the House. This time, he denied  was in fact retired. “I’m retiring now. My papers are there in the Auditors Court. Not yet published the retirement. I hope it takes a little longer, to not cut the salary ” he said, citing that receives full pay, little more than $ 3000 monthly, although he is not working for ten years. “I’ve never been retired by the Assembly,” he adds – an information that contradicts the official journals. 

Holidays and PDV 

The history of the driver Adilson Chuvinski is also full of contradictions. He was retired for disability in October 2006, as claimed by the official journal No. 127, published on November 20, 2006. Oddly enough, six months later, in April 2007, he would have enjoyed holidays. But the publication relating such holiday, occurred only in February 2008, a daily worker – three months after the death of Chuvinski. 

The driver is buried in a cemetery in Santo Antonio da Platina, in north of Paraná. Wanted by the reporting team, a relative of Chuvinski said he was in good health during the period when the House retired him. 

Not only are retirement due disability that cause estrangement. The barber Jose Costa requested the benefit to the direction and daily No 85, October 14, 2006, published the act of the executive committee which granted retirement from June 1, of that year. Two months later, the unusual: the Official journal No. 118 of October 30, 2006, reveals that the barber, now retired, joins to the voluntary severance program (PDV) of the House. 

Index 

A survey conducted in 2008 by the General Coordination of Social Security and Server Benefits, a division of Human Resources of the Ministry of Planning, gives an idea of what it means to retire 23 servers. The study found that the rate of disability pension from effective servers of the federal government in the period 1997 to 2008 is 0.5% of total employees. In the Assembly of Parana, the rate is 4.4% – nearly ten times higher. To reach this percentage, the report used the current number of public employees of the Legislative Assembly of Parana, which is 516. 

After entry into PDV, employee returns to work 

The fine-toothed on the official journals of the Assembly also raises questions about the Voluntary Retirement Program (PDV) offered to the House servers. The PDVs are intended to streamline the staff and optimize costs. But at least 2 servers benefited from the program returned to work in the Assembly, shortly after joining. 

One is José Devanir Bordignon. The journal No 37 of April 24, 2000, news his join to PDV. The same issue news too, that the server was full at the General Director’s office – led by General Director Miguel Abib – and he received a salary of $ 440 per month. 

Oddly enough, nine months after joining in January 2001, Bordignon returned to receive money from the Assembly in his current account, although there is no record in official journals of his rehiring. And there wasn’t little: from 2004 to early 2009, the House has placed in his bank account more than $ 1.2 million, according to documents obtained by reports. 

He started with a salary of just over $ 6000 a month and then jumped to $ 15,000, reaching to 37,000 in October 2006. 

Bordignon lives now in Faxinal, in the central region of the state, and was found by the report in a company which is a wrapper garage. 

Without knowing he was being filmed, he says that was a commissioned server by the Assembly. About the deposits made into his account after he joined the PDV, he preferred to say nothing. 

The other case is Nivaldo Vandir Cordeiro, security chief of the Assembly of Parana. The shutdown is printed in the diary No. 133, September 25, 2001. Eight years later, when the House released a list of servers, comes the confirmation: he returned to the Assembly, this time with a commissioned position. 

In Justice 

Another former official of Assembly, filed with a writ of security in the Court of Paraná requesting the invalidation of PDV of the House. In the action, he requires a specific law from the program, the budget forecast and the relation of servers that have joined the program and left the House. The action was filed over a year, but the court denied the request and he had to appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice (STJ), where he awaits trial. 

The former server lives for 11 years out of Paraná for fear of reprisals from the General  Director of the Assembly, Miguel Abib, the Bibinho – whom it accuses of chase. He says he was coerced to sign PDV, because he would have found an alleged fraud involving a former deputy who was sponsored by the general Director. “I had no intention to go away of that House of Law. But I was coerced, “says. 

Justus announces inquiry
Assembly President calls publications loose and states that all allegations will be investigated with the help of Public Prosecution. 

The President of the Legislature Assembly, Nelson Justus (DEM), announced yesterday, speaking at the plenary of the House, the opening of an internal inquiry to investigate the allegations made by Gazeta do Povo and RPCTV. The deputy said he met with the Attorney General of Justice, Olympio de Sá Sotto Maior, yesterday morning. He said the prosecutors will help the investigation. “I started with the help of all the lords and ladies of all, this process of  transparency, no return. No going back. And this has already been clarified. So who it hurts, this committee will investigate all these complaints, one by one. “ 

In the first of a series of reports, the report showed the existence of spare editions of the Official Journal of the legislature and revealed the case of 2 women living in rural area of Cerro Azul, which appear as employees of the Assembly and would have received $ 1, 6 million in five years. However, both mother and daughter, survive thanks to the payment of Family Allowance. “None (complaint) will be without answer. Let clears them all, “said the parliamentarian. 

Though the Assembly President has announced the participation of prosecutors in the inquiry, the prosecutor was in a meeting all afternoon yesterday and hasn’t confirmed the meeting with Justus. A spokesperson for the prosecutor informed the Prosecutor’s Office for the Protection of Public Property is following the case “with interest” and requested copies of the reports from Gazeta do Povo and RPCTV. 

Loose Acts 

In plenary, Nelson Justus said the so-called “loose acts”, documents that do not follow numbering or chronological order and are devoid of a sequence that allows any type of examination – which opens the possibility of irregularities being “legalized.” Initially, through his press office, the Assembly had denied the existence of newspapers without a number. Yesterday, Justus called this kind of act as “an extraordinary publication.” He said these acts are not secret. It was in a loose act, said the deputy, which was published the list of officials servers of the Assembly. Justus avoided the press and said he will not give interviews telling the story, until there is not an explanation for the complaints. 

The report was also the theme of the speech by the deputy Jocelito Canto (PTB). On Monday, the Assembly was informed that a farmer from Cerro Azul, who says she never worked in the Assembly, but she would have received $ 1.2 million in salaries of the House, was an official of the office of Jocelito. “I do not know this person. I want to sympathize with her, “the deputy said. The case of the farmer has been shown by research from the Gazeta do Povo and RPCTV. Jocelito asked Justus to issue a certificate showing that she is not his employee. “I’m no saint. (…) Now I’m not an outcast. I am not a crook. “ 

On tense day, diary on line is seen as output by deputs 

The main issue was meant to be the adjustment of civil service, but what dominated yesterday’s session at the Legislative Assembly, was the impact of complaints made by Gazeta do Povo and the PRC TV. With filled galleries and space reserved for journalists crowded, you could see the climate of apprehension among the deputs. Some read the print version of Gazeta do Povo, others had opened the portal in the RPC in their notebooks. The speech of the president’s house, Nelson Justus (DEM), was heard with attention. Like the explanations of deputy Jocelito Canto (PTB). 

Other lawmakers who were not cited by the report, expressed concern over the irregularities presented. “I think it is a good day. I do not think any member of any party, may be happy when they see reports like that. I think it saddens us, “said deputy Tadeu Veneri (PT), for whom” there is no longer able to mince words.” 

For him, the reports can serve to accelerate the transparency of the house, that was under way in recent years. Veneri cited the reduction of the parliamentary recess, the end of payments for extraordinary sessions, the implementation of the electronic board and the installation of the TV Sinal, the measures adopted during the administration of President Nelson Justus. “I think we can go further. The process of re-registration (the Assembly employees) is a step with no doubt.” 

The deputy from PT believes that the provision of official jounals on the Internet could solve some of the problems. “The people of Paraná need to have access to it.” 

The Veneri position is also defended by the President of the Constitution and Justice Committee of the Assembly, deputy Durval Amaral (DEM). “I am favor the dissemination of online jounals. But I can not answer for the executive board of the house”. 

For OAB, loose diary is “absurd”
Assembly, which published more than half of their decisions between 2006 and 2009 in undated documents, is criticized by experts in transparency 

March 17th, 2010 | Karlos Kohlbach, Katia Brembatti, James Alberti and Gabriel  Tabatcheik 

The publication of loose diaries by the Legislative of Parana – as shown by the entry of the Gazeta do Povo yesterday and the RPCTV on Monday – is totally irregular, it is enough for an investigation in the House. This is the opinion of experts consulted by reports. The loose issues, which have no numbering, prevent the enforcement of legislative acts. As reported Gazeta do Povo and RPCTV, 56.7% of all administrative decisions between 2006 and 2009 – including appointments, dismissals and management decisions – are published in these “secret diaries”. 

The President of the Lawyer Association of Brazil (OAB) in Parana, José Lucio Glomb, said the Assembly commits illegalities to maintain in secrecy the official jounals and to avail themselves loose iditions to publish editions of administrative acts. “Loose diary is absurd and irregular. And spread only within the House is not advertising, as required by law, “he says. 

One way to remedy the problem, according Glomb, would be publicize the documents of the Legislative by Official State Jounal (DOE), regular publication of the state government, widely accessible and available on the public internet. Today there is a space in DOE to the Assembly, but there are only published extracts from balance sheets and summaries of law statements. “It had to have an edition of the Journal of the Assembly in any public library,” he argued. Currently, there is no journal file for inspection in any location – inside or outside the Assembly. This collection could serve as a rebuttal, preventing diaries were manufactured at any time. 

Glomb reinforces that the restricted dissemination of official acts, threatening the legality and validity of the adopted measures. He also challenged the retroactive and early publications. “The name is diary because it has to be every day. Disseminate a week after it was no longer acceptable, and some years after is worst, “said Glomb, citing cases revealed by this newspaper Gazeta do Povo and RPCTV. The OAB, says the president, is concerned about the situation, since “it is a power, the Legislative, which gets a great spot, because they are serious indications of fraudulently promoting the diversion of public funds.” To Glomb, it is necessary take arrangements for this in the present, to avoid similar cases in future and also investigate the past. 

The state President of OAB, yesterday also gave an interview to Paraná TV, the RPC, and said the Legislative power, should be the first to give good examples. Glomb said he believed the deputies should be concerned, seeking clarification. “We expect a response from the Assembly. This can not be one more a scandal without the punishment of those responsible, “he said. 

The director of the nongovernmental organization, Transparência Brasil, Claudio Abramo, stressed that the Legislative of Parana must comply with the law of publicize the official acts. “Do not publish information is an enough reason to open investigations against the Executive,” he says. To Abramo, only hide information who has a reason. “This whole transparency process in some public sectors have joined is not free. They do not disclose information because they are nice, but because they were pressured into it, “he emphasizes. 

No answers 

If the Assembly will issue a certificate stating that the farmer Vanilda Leal is not an employee of the office of Representative Jocelito Canto, how they do not know which sector or office it she is linked?
Vanilda, who lives in a small house in Cerro Azul, 100 km from Curitiba, support herself with the help of the Family Grant. But records in the official journals of the Assembly shows that were deposited U.S. $ 1.2 million in her account over five years. 

Which diary is a relief from Jermina Maria Leal da Silva, Vanilda’s mother?
According to the Assembly, Jermina is no longer server of the House. But it was not informed when she would have been exonerated. The deposits in her account totaling $ 380 thousand between 2004 and 2009. 

How does the Assembly pay salaries above the limit set by law?
The constitutional base is $ 26,700, equivalent to the salary paid to a minister of the Supreme Court. 

Even with the release of the list of officials by the Assembly, no one is aware that many of those people listed do not work in the house?
Deputies often claim that they pay politicians agents who act in their electoral strongholds. But the report found people who lives in Santa Catarina and Goiás. 

Why are there so many cases of retroactive or anticipated publications?
Issues which the reports had access show that there is a case of published appointment in 2008, but worth starting in 2001. Experts say this kind of act is totally irregular. 

Why does not Assembly of Paraná allows the query to the journals?
No copies available in the Assembly. Over the past 2 years, the report of Gazeta do Povo and the RPC TV has tried to consult the issues, but without success. Since last year, the excuse is that the documents are in the printing binder. 

Why is not there a public archive, out of the Legislative, as rebuttal paper?
There is no edition of the Assembly in the State Public Library. In addition, the Assembly could be more transparent and give more publicity to their actions if they also utilized the State Official Journal.