Source: O Globo Online - Rio de Janeiro / RJ - 24/03/2010

Globe Minas

BELO HORIZONTE - Operation “Tornado 2”, which involves the Public Ministry and the State Revenue, closed this Tuesday a gas station in Uberlândia, in the Minas Gerais Triangle, and arrested two businessmen suspected of committing the crimes of tax evasion, training conspiracy, money laundering and use of counterfeit bills.

The operation started during the morning. Two people were arrested at home: Adenaísio Costa Dantas and Ricardo Abdulmasih. According to the State Public Ministry, businessmen withheld taxes on the sale of alcohol in Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Goiás. There were eight months of investigation. The offices were searched and the pumps with electronic devices that circumvented the fuel count were sealed.

The first stage of Operation “Tornado” was carried out in September last year, when irregularities were identified in posts in Uberlândia, Araguari and Tupaciguara. In this second phase, 26 search and seizure warrants were issued in seven cities, including Uberlândia, Uberaba, Araxá, Patrocínio and Ituiutaba. So far, tax evasion amounts to R $ 28 million.

The action mobilized more than 70 military policemen and 55 inspectors from the State Secretariat of Finance. The Public Prosecutor's Office offered 19 complaints against 24 people. Among the irregularities: companies not authorized by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) would be removing alcohol from plants and delivering directly to the stations using cold invoices provided by a company in Paulínia, in the interior of São Paulo. Entrepreneurs' assets have been blocked.

According to prosecutor Genney Randro, all complaints from the Public Prosecutor's Office in Uberlândia for economic crimes, especially crimes against the tax order, are accompanied by a measure of kidnapping of assets.

- That's because today we have not only a criminal aspect, but especially asset recovery. That is, the return of goods acquired illegally so that it can guarantee the payment of these stratospheric amounts withheld by these groups. So, today, the unavailability of not only movable and immovable property has been decreed, but the blocking of values ​​in all bank accounts of partners and companies of the Rede Verde group - he explained.

And according to the State Revenue, the fight against tax evasion does not stop there.

- The work of the IRS continues in the matter of the conduct of the other operation (of Tornado 1) and the documents and media and magnetic files that were seized will be audited. They will undergo an audit by the State Revenue Service. The result of this, if any irregularity of the tax assessment is found, is passed on to the Public Ministry for the assessment and representation of a crime against the tax order - explained the regional superintendent of State Revenue, Gustavo Antônio dos Santos.

There is still an arrest warrant to be carried out against Henrique Alves da Cunha Abdulmassih, son of Ricardo Abdulmassih, who has not been located.