GOL and LATAM are targets of Operation Antonov launched today (03) by the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (GAECO) of the Public Ministry of the Federal District and Territories (MPDFT).
Companies are under suspicion of paying tip to former deputy Eduardo Cunha and former deputy governor of the DF Tadeu Filippelli. The crimes occurred between 2012 and 2014.
According to the MPDFT, there are indications that the two airlines paid bribes to politicians to reduction of fuel taxes of aviation in the Federal Capital.
“These measures result from an investigation by GAECO/MPDFT, initiated from the sharing of attachments of the award-winning collaboration of Lucio Bolonha Funaro before the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in order to determine the payment of undue advantage in return for the district legislative amendment that reduced the civil aviation ICMS rate from 25% to 12%”, MPDFT said in a note.
In a statement, LATAM said that authorities were at its facilities — Academia Corporativa and Hangar II — in São Paulo and that “continues to collaborate with the competent authorities.”
Within the scope of Operation Antonov, 16 search and seizure warrants will be carried out in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Goiás, Espírito Santo and the Federal District.
Participating in the operation are the GAECOS of the respective states, the Military Police of São Paulo and Espírito Santo, the Civil Police of the Federal District, the Production Analysis, Dissemination and Information Security Center of the MPDFT and the Security and Intelligence Coordination of the MPRJ.
According to Mail Braziliense, GOL informed that it continues to cooperate with the authorities to provide the necessary information.
The politicians involved in this issue are already known for other cases involving corruption and payment of bribes. Former deputy and former mayor Eduardo Cunha was sentenced to 15 years and 11 months, and is still serving time.
