Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a presidential hopeful from Rio de Janeiro and a member of the right-leaning Liberal Party (PL), accused Brazil's Federal Police of selective conduct after a Supreme Court justice ordered an asset freeze against PL president Valdemar Costa Neto.
Justice Flávio Dino, of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF), ordered the blocking of about R$120 million in Valdemar's assets, roughly USD 22 million at recent rates, according to single-source reporting from Revista Oeste. The measure is tied to an investigation into alleged misuse of congressional budget amendments, a mechanism through which lawmakers direct federal spending to specific projects or local governments.
The Allegations
According to the report, the investigation cited by Dino says Valdemar allegedly led the irregular direction of 21 parliamentary amendments. The Federal Police claims the allocations were formally attributed to federal deputies to conceal who was actually responsible for steering the funds.
Dino's decision said there were strong indications of peculato-desvio, a Brazilian criminal-law term for diversion of public resources by a public official or someone participating in the scheme, and criminal association. In addition to freezing assets, Dino suspended the execution of the amendments under investigation so public funds could be recovered if the allegations are confirmed.
The case places a senior opposition-party figure under direct judicial scrutiny at a sensitive political moment. The PL is the party of former President Jair Bolsonaro and remains one of the main vehicles of Brazil's right-wing opposition to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government.
Bolsonaro's Response
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media that it was regrettable to see the Federal Police acting selectively to embarrass a political opponent of the current government. He also said the force was again mobilizing resources to attack the president's adversaries and argued that the alleged persecution had to stop.
The senator said he believed Valdemar would answer the points raised in the investigation. He also argued that, as president of Brazil's largest party, Valdemar naturally acts politically with federal deputies, especially lawmakers from the PL.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, a former federal deputy and another son of the former president, also defended Valdemar. According to the report, Eduardo said Valdemar had never asked him to indicate amendments and argued that such political coordination is part of the ordinary work of deputies and senators. He said treating that practice as criminal reflected what he called a visibly biased and political interpretation of the law.
Defense Denies Crime
Valdemar's lawyers challenged the decision. In a statement cited by Revista Oeste, the defense said the order relied on fragile premises, subjective inferences and an improper criminalization of party-political activity.
The lawyers said Valdemar categorically denies committing any crime. They also argued there is no proof, or even indication, that he knowingly joined an alleged criminal scheme.
The Federal Police's allegations have not been tested in a final judgment. Based on the source material available, the case remains an investigation centered on whether the political direction of budget amendments crossed into criminal diversion of public funds.