Federal Prosecutor Indicts 40 Brazilian Notables Involved in Bribe-for-Vote Scandal

Brazil’s Federal Prosecution Office (Ministério Público) announced Tuesday, April 11, the indictments of 40 people in the so-called Big Monthly Allowance scandal ("mensalão") in which the government supposedly paid some members of Congress to vote favorably.

Among those indicted are José Dirceu (the former presidential Chief of Staff), José Genoí­no (formerly the president of the ruling Workers Party, PT), Delúbio Soares (formerly the treasurer of the PT), Luiz Gushiken (now head of the Secretariat of Government Communication and Strategic Management who was a cabinet member.

Those formally charged also include Sí­lvio Pereira (formerly secretary general of the PT), Marcos Valério (a businessman/adman who is supposed to have distributed the slush fund money), Duda Mendonça (an adman who ran the successful 2004 Lula bid for the presidency) and Zilmar Fernandes (a partner in the Duda Mendonça advertising/marketing firm).

According to the Prosecution Office, the "mensalão" was "a criminal organization with activities in three areas: policy and political parties, advertising, and financing."

The specific charges in the indictments include forming Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (formação de quadrilha), illegal financial transactions [including illegal remittances abroad] (evasão ilegal de divisas), active and passive corruption (corrupção ativa e passiva) and embezzlement or malfeasance of public funds)(peculato – desvio de dinheiro público),

Here is a complete list of everyone indicted by the MP. The indictments now go to the Supreme Court (STF) because some of the accused are elected officials and only the Supreme has power to try them.

José Dirceu;
José Genoí­no;
Delúbio Soares;
Silvio Pereira;
Marcos Valério de Souza;
Ramon Cardoso;
Cristiano de Mello Paz;
Rogério Lanza;
Simone Vasconcelos;
Geiza Dias dos Santos;
Kátia Rabello;
José Roberto Salgado;
Viní­cius Samarane;
Ayanna Tenório Tôrres de Jesus;
João Paulo Cunha;
Luiz Gushiken;
Henrique Pizzolato;
Pedro da Silva Neto;
José Janene;
Pedro Henry;
João Cláudio Genu;
Enivaldo Quadrado;
Breno Fishberg;
Carlos Alberto Quaglia;
Valdemar Costa Neto;
Jacinto Lamas;
Antônio Lamas;
Bispo Rodrigues;
Roberto Jefferson;
Emerson Eloy Palmieri;
Romeu Queiroz;
José Rodrigues Borba;
Paulo Roberto Galvão da Rocha;
Anita Leocádia;
Professor Luizinho;
João Magno;
Anderson Adauto;
José Luiz Alvez;
Duda Mendonça;
Zilmar Fernandes Silveira.

Agência Brasil