Accounting Court head taken in for questioning in Car Wash-linked operation

The Federal Police have taken in for questioning Rio de Janeiro Accounting Court head Jonas Lopes and associates as part of a probe into passive corruption and money laundering. Three warrants were served this Tuesday (Dec. 13).

The operation, dubbed Descontrole (Portuguese for “out of control”), is a spinoff of Operation Car Wash in Rio de Janeiro, and is joined by the Federal Prosecution Service. The Federal Police also executed 10 search and seizure orders issued by the Superior Court of Justice.

The court's press office announced they have not taken a stance on the order targeting the head of the court as yet.

A clarification from the Prosecutor General's Office

In a note, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGR) said it ordered that Jonas Lopes de Carvalho, his son Jonas Lopes de Carvalho Neto, and operator Jorge Luiz Mendes Pereira da Silva be taken in by the Federal Police for questioning.  According to the PGR, the head of the Accounting Court and his son were implicated in plea bargain statements by executives from construction company Carioca Engenharia. They're accused of asking for illicit advantages for the approval of projects.

“Jorge Luiz Mendes Pereira da Silva was also mentioned in a cooperation deal by executives from Construtora Andrade Gutierrez as being the one in charge of receiving amounts in cash, totaling one percent of the value of projects, at the request of court officials still unidentified,” the note says.
The text further states that nine search and seizure warrants are being served in Rio de Janeiro, and one in Minas Gerais.

Defense

Jonas Neto's office also released a note saying the searches conducted by the police comprised no more than a personal computer and “a few documents kept in secret from all clients not related to the operation.”

“The office has nothing to fear regarding the probe, does not work in the state's Accounting Court, and protests against professional violation, arguing that it will take the necessary legal measures. Lawyer Jonas Neto does not know the reason behind the news publicized about an alleged statement implicating his name,” the communication reads.

*Vinícius Lisboa contributed to this article.

New information was added at 02:23 p.m.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira