Government says it expects facts investigated about ministers to be explained
The presidency released a statement Tuesday (Dec. 15) on the search and seizure operation of the Federal Police (PF) in the houses of authorities—including Lower House Speaker Eduardo Cunha (member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party—PMDB), and two ministers of the government—and stated it expects that the facts being investigated are "explained as soon as possible."
Tourism Minister Henrique Eduardo Alves; and Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Celso Pansera—both members of the PMDB—are among the targets of the police's operation.
"The federal government hopes that all the facts investigated in the next stage of Operation Car Wash involving ministers of the government and other authorities are explained as soon as possible, and that the truth is established," read the note of the Presidency's Press Secretariat.
In the text, the government further declares "that all those investigated shall put up their defenses within the adversarial principle, and that this process shall strengthen Brazilian institutions."
Operation Catilinarian
The federal police launched Operation Catilinarian Tuesday morning, acting with the Public Prosecution Office, in order to execute 53 search and seizure warrants issued by the Federal Supreme Court, referring to seven cases filed from evidence obtained under investigations of Operation Car Wash. The operation's purpose is to avoid important evidence to be destroyed by those investigated.
The warrants, issued by Justice Teori Zavascki, have been executed at the Federal District (9) and also in the states of São Paulo (15), Rio de Janeiro (14), Pará (6), Pernambuco (4), Alagoas (2), Ceará (2) and Rio Grande do Norte (1).
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Government says it expects facts investigated about ministers to be explained
