The Federal Police arrested businessman Antônio Carlos Camilo Antunes, known as ‘INSS Baldy’, and his partner Maurício Camisotti on Friday on suspicion of involvement in fraud involving the National Social Security Institute (INSS). The action, ordered by the Supreme Federal Court (STF), is a result of Operation Sem Desconto, which investigates a national scheme of improper discounts on pensions and retirement benefits. Investigators found indications of a flight risk and asset concealment.
The PF states that the investigations revealed that the suspects committed ‘crimes of obstructing or hindering the investigation of a criminal organization, depletion and concealment of assets, as well as possible obstruction of the investigation by some of the suspects.’ In total, according to the agency, ‘two arrest warrants and 13 search and seizure warrants are being executed, authorized by the Supreme Federal Court, in the states of São Paulo and the Federal District.’
Antunes operated as a lobbyist and ‘facilitator’ of the frauds, while Camisotti is said to be a hidden partner in one of the entities involved and a direct beneficiary of the scheme. The PF also detailed that shell associations were used to register retirees without authorization through fake signatures, allowing for monthly deductions from benefits.
One day after the INSS CPI approved the lifting of Antunes’ fiscal, banking, and telephone privacy, the operation took place. Companies linked to ‘INSS Baldy’ allegedly acted as financial intermediaries for the suspected associations. These companies received diverted funds and then transferred the amounts to individuals associated with the entities or INSS employees.
The PF claims that Antunes received $ 53 million from retiree and pensioner associations. Of this amount, over $ 9 million were directly transferred to individuals linked to the institute. With the arrest, Antunes’ testimony to the INSS CPI is expected to gain more significance in advancing investigations into the scheme, considered one of the largest ever identified against the social security system.
Who is ‘INSS Baldy’? Antônio Carlos Camilo Antunes, known as ‘INSS Baldy’, moved $ 12.2 million through bank accounts in just 129 days, a little over four months. Antunes is identified by the PF as the central figure in the alleged scheme of improper discounts on INSS pensions and retirements. His companies allegedly acted as financial intermediaries for the associative entities, according to the investigation documentation. His defense stated that the accusations do not correspond to the reality of the facts. The police point out that the businessman made ‘transfers on the same day of receipt, keeping a relatively low balance available in the account, indicating a possible urgency to hinder the tracing of the funds.’
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