Key facts
- Brazil's federal police executed search warrants targeting former Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro.
- The investigation focuses on alleged fraudulent management, money laundering, and tax evasion in fuel marketing.
- Irregular issuance of environmental licenses for a refinery is also under scrutiny.
- Castro's lawyer confirmed his residence was not searched.
- Castro resigned from office in March and faces an eight-year ban from public office.
Brazil's federal police on Friday executed search warrants targeting former Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro, according to two sources familiar with the investigation. Castro's lawyer stated that authorities did not search his residence.
The federal police are investigating alleged fraudulent and reckless management, money laundering, tax evasion, capital flight, market manipulation, and crimes against the economic order involving fuel marketing. The probe is examining the alleged irregular issuance of environmental licenses for a refinery, disregarding guidance from relevant technical bodies, as well as associated money laundering.
This is not the first investigation involving Castro; he was previously targeted in a suspected tax evasion probe in May. In that instance, police ordered privately owned refinery Refit to halt operations. Castro resigned from his gubernatorial post in March and was subsequently barred from holding public office for eight years by an electoral court due to abuse of political and economic power, illicit fundraising, and other offenses related to the 2022 general election.