Operation Make Up investigates embezzlement of public funds involving Mario Frias

The measures were determined within the scope of Operation Make Up, carried out jointly by the Federal Police (PF) and the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU). The action carried out 49 search and seizure warrants in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Ceará and the Federal District.

In addition to Frias, producer Karina Gama is one of the main targets of the operation. Two entities owned by her — the Instituto Saber Brasil (ICB) and the Academia Nacional de Cultura (ANC) — were also the target of searches by the corporation's agents.

According to the Federal Police, a criminal organization formed by public and private agents had directed resources transferred to a civil society organization to irregularly subcontracted companies, without proof that the services were actually provided.

The investigators point out that financial movements worth hundreds of millions of reais were identified and attempts to hide the embezzlements that lasted until July this year. The investigation investigates the occurrence of the following crimes:

An audit carried out by the CGU identified signs of irregularities in the direction of a R$2 million parliamentary amendment indicated by Mario Frias to entities linked to Karina Gama.

Frias is the screenwriter and executive producer of the feature film "Dark Horse", a yet-to-be-released film that addresses the trajectory of former president Jair Bolsonaro and features American actor Jim Caviezel in the lead role.

The case reported by Flávio Dino was initially being processed in the São Paulo Courts before being sent to the STF due to the jurisdiction's prerogative of function.

This inquiry focuses strictly on the use of parliamentary amendments and public funds directed to entities and companies linked to production.

At the same time, the Supreme Court analyzes another front regarding the financing of "Dark Horse", under the report of Minister André Mendonça.

This second investigation examines transfers totaling US$12.3 million made at the behest of former banker Daniel Vorcaro at the request of senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL). The case gained new developments after the approval of the plea bargain of businessman Antonio Carlos Freixo Junior, the "Mineiro", which detailed transfers to a fund abroad.

In a previous statement sent to the Federal Supreme Court, deputy Mario Frias denied irregularities and maintained that the values ​​of the amendments intended for the entities were not applied to "any cinematographic production".

Until the last update of this report, the defense of those investigated had not commented on the decisions made by the STF.