Caixa’s number 2 will step down on suspicion of covering up allegations of sexual harassment

The vice president of Wholesale Business at Caixa, Celso Leonardo Barbosa, will also step down after accusations of sexual harassment against the bank’s former president, Pedro Guimarães.

The suspicion of people connected to the bank is that Barbosa may have helped to cover up the situation. He was considered the number two in Guimarães and frequently replaced him in command of the institution. He was also a close and faithful ally to the now-ex-president.

Reports from victims and other officials indicate that the episodes were known to at least part of the board and vice presidents.

The information about Barbosa’s departure was revealed by columnist Lauro Jardim, from O Globo, and confirmed by Sheet by government sources. When contacted, Caixa has not yet responded. The report tried to contact the executive directly, but did not receive a response until the publication of this text.

On the morning of this Friday (1st), the vice president was informed by the chairman of the board of directors, Rogerio Rodrigues Bimbi, that he would need to leave the position. Hours later, Barbosa gathered his team to announce the fact.

A new extraordinary meeting of the board of directors will be held this Friday night to define how the vice president will leave: whether he will be removed immediately or removed for a determined period until new information is obtained.

Barbosa joined Caixa in January 2019 as a strategic advisor to the bank’s presidency. He became vice president of the bank in March 2020.

On Thursday (30), also in an extraordinary meeting, the council decided to hire an external audit to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment against Pedro Guimarães and track other members of the summit who covered up the situation.

The accusations were revealed on Tuesday (28) by the Metrópoles portal, which also reported the existence of an investigation by the Federal Public Ministry.

The women narrated episodes such as intimate touches without consent, invitations incompatible with the professional environment and other inappropriate behavior.

The board’s decision to hire an outsourced company to conduct the investigation was taken after reports from victims indicated that the episodes were known to at least part of Caixa’s board and vice presidents.

The assessment of the collegiate is that leaving the investigation in the hands of internal control bodies is not the best way to obtain an independent diagnosis, given the suspicion of involvement of other members of the institution’s top management.

The preliminary assessment is that, given the reports, Guimarães’ resignation alone is not enough. The fear is that an organizational culture has been established in the bank that cannot be tolerated.

A Caixa employee said in a statement to Sheet which was also harassed by Guimarães, president of the institution. She claimed to have been pulled by the neck and to have been in shock after the episode. The woman asked to have her identity preserved for fear of suffering retaliation from the bank’s command.

Guimarães resigned on Wednesday (29), the day after the accusations were made public. In an open letter posted on social media, he denied the allegations and said he was the target of “political rancor in an election year”.

Vice-president Henriete Bernabé (Housing) took over as interim president, until the new nominee, Daniella Marques, takes office, which should take place next week, after analysis of her documentation by the bank’s eligibility committee.