Cash Was Used to Pay for Work Done for Temer's Daughter, Says Supplier

04/12/2018 - 11h19

Architect Maria Rita Fratezi, the wife of Coronel João Baptista Lima Filho, a friend of President Michel Temer, paid expenses related to the remodeling of a home belonging to one of the President's daughters in cash, according to information provided to Folha by one of the project's suppliers.

The Federal Police (PF), according to what Folha has learned, is investigating the work done at the residence of Psychologist Maristela Temer under the suspicion that it was paid for by bribes from JBS corporation. Both Fratezi and Lima are targets of Operation Skala, launched on the 29th of March, which is investigating an alleged corruption scheme benefiting companies in the port sector with renewals of their public concessions.

The Coronel was held under arrest for three days at the end of March and his wife was summoned to testify. Both maintained their silence during the investigations.

Piero Cosulich, owner of Ibiza Acabementos (Ibiza Finishing Materials), one of the companies that delivered material to Maristela's residence in Pinheiros, an upper-class neighborhood in São Paulo, confirmed to a reporter that Fratezi was the one who personally took the money to his store.

Folha obtained a receipt for one of the payments, issued by Ibiza on the 30th of March in 2015, for R$ 12,480 (US$ 3,703). The document is now under the jurisdiction of the PF.

Aides to Temer and Maristela's legal council haven't responded to questions about the report. Coronel Fratezi's lawyers said that they didn't commit any 'irregularity'.

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

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