The Federal Police are investigating the existence of three groups, with division of tasks and hierarchy, that worked in the alleged criminal organization responsible for embezzling R$640 million from INSS retirees through the National Confederation of Family Farmers and Rural Family Entrepreneurs (Conafer).
Conafer is one of the entities investigated for embezzlements made between 2019 and 2024 and, in total, considering all suspicious associations, the frauds may have reached R$6.3 billion and affected millions of retirees. The estimate is from the PF and the General Comptroller of the Union (CGU).
The part of the scheme linked to Conafer was the target of the fourth phase of Operation Without Discount, launched by the PF this Thursday (13) with authorization from the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) André Mendonça.
The three organizational cores for the deviations, highlighted by the investigation, according to Mendonça’s decision, are:
- command;
- financial;
- and political and support.
The command was headed by the president of Conafer, Carlos Lopes, “leader and intellectual mentor of the criminal scheme”. The Supreme Court ordered his arrest, but the order had not been carried out until last Thursday night (13) because he had not been located. Carlos’ brother, Tiago Abraão Ferreira Lopes, was arrested this Thursday. He is vice-president of the institution.
The main suspect of making payments to public agents is Cícero Marcelino de Souza Santos, arrested in this Thursday’s operation.
