1 of 3 Matheus Possebon was arrested by the Santos PF after disembarking from the Alexandre Pires themed cruise Photo: Reproduction/Social Media Matheus Possebon was arrested by the Santos PF after disembarking from the Alexandre Pires themed cruise had disembarked Photo: Reproduction/Social Media
An investigation by the Federal Police (PF) shows that businessman Matheus Possebon, who manages the career of singer Alexandre Pires, used family members to launder money from the Betser company, which is under investigation on suspicion of illegal mining in the Yanomami indigenous territory becomes. The businessman denied the allegations and called the arrest “violence.”
During investigations, the PF identified three cores: financial, logistical and orange. Possebon was identified as a suspect of being part of the financial core. He was also named as a silent partner at Betser.
The searches took place on Monday (4) on the ship where the singer was in Santos, on the coast of São Paulo. The businessman was arrested on the ship.
Under the scheme he would have received more than that R$1.18 million from the mining company. His family members also received amounts. According to the PF, the following Possebon family members benefited from the scheme:
- brother and daughterinlaw R$435,000;
- cousin R$86,500,000;
- Sister R$30,000;
- brother in law R$7,000.
In addition, the businessman’s accountant received R$10,000 from the company. The PF pointed out that Christian dos Santos acted as a “supposed partner” and Possebon acted as a “hidden partner” of Betser. According to the PF, together they “transported large quantities of ore and laundered millions of reais.”
“Proof that the commission of crimes is the main source of income (R$ 127,723,673.75, of which R$ 95,393,798.75 from Betser de Roraima in 2021 and 2022), with the aim of enriching the millionaire’s assets with a legal “It appears to be integrated into the national financial system,” an excerpt from the decision quotes.
Possebon said the arrest was “violent” and was “ordered based on a single financial transaction with a company with which he has no business relationship.”
Investigations suggest that his company transferred R$ 160,000 to one of the people under investigation, an indication that the singer ignored the origin of the money and ran the risk that it came from a criminal source, according to federal police. The singer denies the allegations.
2 of 3 Operação Disco de Ouro targets miners, businessmen and even a national singer. Photo: PF/Disclosure Operação Disco de Ouro targets miners, businessmen and even a national singer. — Photo: PF/Disclosure
The police investigation suggests that the scheme aims to “wash” cassiterite illegally removed from TIY, with the ore declared as coming from a regular mine on the Tapajós River in Itaituba, Pará and supposedly transported to Roraima for treatment.
Cassiterite is a metal used to make alloys such as tinplate and is used in food can making, car finishing, glass making, and even cell phone screens. Research suggests that the dynamic would only be on paper as the ore would come from Roraima State itself.
Financial transactions have been identified that affect the entire production chain of the system, with the presence of aircraft pilots, gas stations, mining machinery and equipment stores and oranges to cover up fraudulent transactions.
The operation was launched this Monday (4). Two arrest warrants and six search and seizure warrants were served, issued by the 4th Federal Court of the Judicial Department of Roraima, in Boa Vista and Mucajaí, in Roraima, in addition to São Paulo and Santos (SP), Santarém (PA), Uberlândia (MG) and Itapema (SC). It was also discovered that more than R130 million was kidnapped from the suspects.
The operation is an offshoot of a PF operation launched in January 2022 when 30 tons of cassiterite were seized from Yanomami indigenous lands. The ore was in the warehouse of the headquarters of an investigated company and was being prepared for shipment abroad.
The investigations are still ongoing.
3 of 3 Federal police officer during Operation Golden Disc. — Photo: PF/Disclosure Federal police agent during Operation Disco de Ouro. — Photo: PF/Disclosure