The Federal Police seized more than R$250,000 in cash from state deputy Marcio Fernandes (PL) this Friday (25), in Campo Grande.
The candidate stated that the amount seized was R$100,000, coming from a cattle sale. He presented proof of the transaction of R$116 thousand.
The action took place in Operation Jogo Limpo, which investigates electoral crimes. The PF also seized cell phones and campaign materials from the parliamentarian's addresses.
State deputy and reelection candidate Marcio Fernandes (PL), who had more than R$250,000 in cash seized by the Federal Police this Friday (25), in Campo Grande, stated, on a social network, that R$100,000 were seized, not R$250,000. According to him, the money is the result of a cattle sale held on Monday (21) on one of his properties.
According to the PF, the police approached the deputy after he withdrew money from a bank branch. During the execution of the warrants at his home and campaign committee, the agents found other valuables. The corporation reported that the amount seized exceeds R$250,000.
According to the electoral rule, candidates must declare to the Electoral Court all the assets and values they have at the time of registering their candidacy, including cash. In the declaration presented to the Regional Electoral Court of Mato Grosso do Sul (TRE-MS), Márcio Fernandes did not report having any cash.
In his statement, the deputy confirmed that he left the bank around 11 am and was approached by the police. According to him, at that moment he had R$100,000. He also stated that no other valuables were found at his home or at the committee and that, in addition to the money, only his cell phone was seized for the investigation into suspected vote buying.
In his statement, Marcio Fernandes stated that he usually uses cash on rural properties because some service providers do not use Pix or have a bank account and prefer to receive cash.
In the publication, the deputy presented documents and images related to the sale of cattle, including the invoice, shipment records and the negotiation schedule. The sale value, according to the documents he presented, was R$116 thousand.
In a statement, the deputy's office stated that nothing irregular was found at the locations during the execution of the warrants. The PF reported that the candidate was not arrested because he was not the subject of an arrest warrant.
According to the PF, two search and seizure warrants were executed as part of Operation Clean Game, which investigates possible electoral crimes. During the investigation, three cell phones, a flash drive and campaign materials were also seized.
The money will still be accounted for. The origin and eventual destination of the amounts will be determined by the investigation.
According to the PF, the police investigation investigates financial movements that may be related to irregular campaign financing and voter enticement during this year's elections.
Marcio Fernandes ran for Mayor of Jaraguari for the PMDB in 2004 and came in second place. In 2006, he ran for the position of state deputy for PRTB and was elected, at the age of 27. According to electoral records, he was the youngest deputy to take up a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso do Sul.
In 2010, he was re-elected by PTdoB. In 2014, he won a seat again with the same party. In 2018, he was elected by the MDB and, in 2022, he also won re-election for the party. Currently, Fernandes is a member of the PL and is once again running for a seat in the Assembly.
State deputy and candidate for reelection for the Liberal Party (PL), Marcio Fernandes, clarifies the facts related to the Federal Police's action this Friday (25).
At around 11am, the deputy made a withdrawal of R$100,000 from his personal account at a Banco do Brasil branch. The amount had previously been provisioned with the bank and would be used for expenses related to his rural properties. Upon leaving the agency, he was approached by Federal Police agents and monitored the execution of an electoral warrant at his residence and at his campaign committee.
In addition to the amount withdrawn and the deputy's cell phone, a pendrive with files from the 2020 electoral campaign were collected from his residence. At the committee, the teams took two external hard drives with images, two notebooks and graphic campaign material. Items for regular use in any electoral campaign, and nothing irregular was found in the locations.
Deputy Marcio Fernandes reiterates his commitment to the truth and makes himself available to the authorities to provide any clarification. It also reaffirms the honesty of his conduct, which has always guided his personal life and his professional and public trajectory.
