Camisotti’s testimony exposes fraud and corruption at INSS during Lula’s government

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Businessman Maurício Camisotti, imprisoned since September of last year, signed the first plea bargain agreement with the Federal Police as part of Operation Sem Desconto, which investigates fraud in the deductions from retirement and pension benefits of the National Institute of Social Security (INSS)

In the agreement, he confesses his participation in the scheme, admits the irregularities, and provides details on how the system of undue deductions, without the beneficiaries’ authorization, worked.

Camisotti was considered one of the main operators and beneficiaries of the fraud.

Companies linked to him received funds from investigated entities, such as Ambec, which received almost R$ 400 million from the INSS between 2023 and 2025. Reports from COAF (Council for Financial Activities Control) pointed to cash withdrawals made by him, raising suspicions of an attempt to circumvent financial controls.

The plea bargain has been negotiated since the end of last year, and this week the material was sent to the office of Minister André Mendonça of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) for approval.

There is an expectation that the agreement could result in house arrest for the businessman.

The document will still be reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office.

Camisotti’s collaboration goes beyond confessions: he presents documents, indicates other people involved, including executives and politicians, and details the political connections of the scheme.

He points to the role of Antônio Carlos Camilo, the “Baldy of INSS,” as a central figure in the irregularities, practically eliminating any chance of a lenient sentence for him.

The plea bargain also mentions Roberta Luchsinger, a friend of Lulinha (President Lula’s son), in shady deals linked to the case, as well as citing PDT politicians, ministers of the Lula government, former members of the PT administration, parliamentarians, former civil servants, and party leaders who allegedly knew about the fraud and did not take steps to prevent the misappropriation of public funds.

A party vice-president is cited as a beneficiary of bribes, as are names linked to the INSS (Brazilian National Social Security Institute) and deputies who allegedly received money from illegal deductions.

The whistleblower also describes how the embezzled money was laundered through a corporate structure, including the participation of a well-known law firm in São Paulo.

The revelation triggered a rush among other investigated parties, who began negotiating their own plea bargains to try to reduce sentences or obtain benefits.

Even the “INSS Baldy” himself is said to have initiated movements, albeit belatedly, to assess the possibility of cooperating with the Justice system and exposing what he calls the “political universe” that protected him.

The scandal, which gained momentum in 2025, involves undue deductions from the benefits of retirees and pensioners, with entities and companies allegedly serving as fronts for money laundering.

Camisotti’s testimony, the first in the investigation, exposes the inner workings of a scheme that affected millions of Brazilians dependent on the INSS and now depends on the Supreme Federal Court’s analysis to be validated.

Minister André Mendonça will verify whether the informant has complied with all the terms, confessed everything voluntarily, and provided consistent evidence.

Published in 04/11/2026 13h29

Portuguese version

Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.

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