Brazilian Federal Police investigate suspected bribery requests at the Senate's Betting CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry).

The Federal Police have opened an investigation into alleged bribery requests made by a lobbyist to businessmen in the online sports betting sector who are under scrutiny by the Betting CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) in the Senate. One of the victims is linked to the singer Gusttavo Lima, according to a report by Folha de S.Paulo.

The lobbyist under investigation is Silvio Barbosa de Assis, a businessman known for his behind-the-scenes activities in Brasília. He was arrested by the Federal Police in 2018 and is a defendant in the TRF-1 (Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region) accused of charging bribes to illegally issue union registrations with the Ministry of Labor.

One of the victims of the attempted extortion told Folha, asking not to be identified, that Silvio contacted her at the end of November. The meeting took place at the lobbyist's office in Brasília.

According to this victim's version, Silvio allegedly said he has influence over senators participating in the Bets CPI and asked for R$50 million to avoid the summons and future indictment of the businessman.

Silvio denied to Folha that he had asked for bribes. “I’m making a documentary, which is already well advanced, and I’m going to make a proposal to Netflix, Prime Video, and Globoplay. I’m listening to some bets, you know? As for this ‘oh, he committed extortion,’ that must be my documentary. How am I going to extort if I’m not a senator or a member of a CPI?”

Silvio stated that a businessman in the online betting sector approached him, allegedly with the aim of hiring him to manage the company's institutional relations, in light of the opening of the CPI das Bets — a negotiation that, according to Silvio, did not prosper.

Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS) is the rapporteur for the Bets Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI). She was chosen for the role because she authored the request to open the investigation.

Soraya Thronicke and Silvio Assis became close about four years ago. Soraya hired the lobbyist's sister and son-in-law, Sandra Assis and Davi Vinicius de Oliveira, to her own office.

In response to Folha, the senator stated that "to say that my name has been used by someone to solicit bribes from businessmen is a very serious and grave accusation. Whoever makes this claim has a duty to present evidence."

Soraya said she learned that "there are several powerful people, including politicians, involved in money laundering crimes through betting" who were "spending millions in the media to try to undermine my credibility, which they will not succeed in."

"What I did was immediately contact the Director General of the Federal Police, Dr. Andrei Rodrigues, and make myself fully available, authorizing, from now on, the lifting of my tax, banking, and telematics confidentiality. I also requested a confrontation between those mentioned, as we need to prove who is truly telling the truth," he said.

Regarding Silvio's family members in her office, the senator said she hired them based on their "technical and professional profile." She also said she met the lobbyist "through several senators."

Silvio Assis said that "in the Senate, I know everyone" and reported a friendly relationship with members of Congress who are members of the Bets Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI). He also stated that he suspects the allegations are being made in an attempt to persecute Senator Soraya Thronicke.

"I don't know if this is persecution against the senator, you know? If it's a problem with her, if they're trying to spin this narrative of accusation. They won't find anything against her; against me, they don't. They can investigate," he stated.

The suspicion surrounding the lobbyist and the Betting Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI das Bets) was raised by Veja magazine. Until the report was published, Silvio was circulating around the Senate and personally attending the depositions.

Rumors of bribery requests were brought to Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) in recent days by at least four senators. According to one of the senators, Pacheco spoke with the director-general of the Federal Police, Andrei Rodrigues, and requested a swift investigation.

A senator who discussed the matter with the president said he was dismayed to hear the information. Pacheco also stated that an allegation of this gravity tarnishes the image of the institution and all parliamentarians, not just those involved.

Another senator who contacted the Senate president said he said it was necessary to wait for the investigations before making a value judgment about any of his colleagues.

In a statement to Folha, the Federal Police said that "it does not comment on any ongoing investigations."

Another Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) underway in the Senate is targeting suspected manipulation of sports betting and soccer matches. The allegations, however, concern the Betting CPI, opened on November 12th to investigate the influence of betting on household budgets and possible money laundering practices.

In just over a month, the commission held six sessions and interviewed three businessmen linked to betting. Also testifying were delegates leading investigations into sports betting, members of the Lula administration (Workers' Party), and the president of Loterj (Rio de Janeiro State Lottery), Hazenclever Lopes Cançado.

Information about the alleged bribery requests caused embarrassment in the Senate corridors and led the committee's vice-president, Senator Alessandro Vieira (MDB-SE), to send a request to the PGR (Attorney General's Office) to investigate the case.

"The potential facts reported above, due to their undeniable seriousness, deserve an immediate investigation by the Attorney General's Office, so that, if confirmed, the necessary measures are taken to hold the agents—public and private—allegedly involved accountable," he said.

The chairman of the Betting Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI), Senator Hiran Gonçalves (PP-RR), told reporters that the allegations must be investigated. "They must be investigated. And we must work hard to regulate this rampant gambling without clear rules in the country," he added.