MPT opens civil investigation against former Caixa president for allegations of harassment

The Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) opened a public civil inquiry to deepen the preliminary investigations of sexual harassment allegedly practiced by the former president of Caixa Econômica Federal, Pedro Guimarães.

Another executive, Celso Leonardo Barbosa, considered one of Guimarães’ main allies in the institution, is also the target of investigations by the MPT.

The case came to light after the disclosure of accusations by bank employees on the Metrópoles website at the end of June.

In the decision, published this Tuesday (26), MPT prosecutor Paulo Neto considered that the facts narrated in the 14 complaints in internal channels of the bank against alleged abuses by Pedro Guimarães, between 2019 and 2022, justified the conversion of the crime news into civil inquiry.

During the preliminary investigation phase, Caixa had to send to the MPT all the documents of the administrative procedures related to the complaints.

With the new MPT decision, the investigations against Pedro Guimarães will be deepened.

The scandal led the executive to resign. His departure from the government was confirmed in an open letter published on his social media.

In the letter, he denied the allegations and said he was the target of “political rancor in an election year”.

“It is with the same purpose of collaboration that I have to step aside at this moment so as not to weaken the collection of achievements that do not belong to me personally, it belongs to the entire team that valiantly belongs to Caixa and also to the support of all the hours I have always received. of the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro”, he said.

Guimarães was replaced by Daniella Marques, right-hand man of Minister Paulo Guedes (Economy). The choice of name aimed to reverse the image crisis that threatened not only the bank, but the campaign for the reelection of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), which is facing resistance from the female electorate.

The former president of Caixa was one of the names closest to the president in the government. He gained the trust of the Chief Executive throughout his term, especially after the president’s decision to delegate to Caixa the operation of emergency aid and Auxílio Brasil, the government’s main social programs.

Guimarães even put himself in the dispute for the vice seat on Bolsonaro’s ticket. He was also considered as Guedes’s replacement in moments of crisis in his godfather’s portfolio in the government. He approached the president and his family for having a worldview similar to that of the Bolsonaro family.

In addition to the investigation conducted by the MPT, another investigation is being carried out by the Attorney General’s Office in the Federal District.

The complaints report unwanted touches and inappropriate invitations, at the bank’s headquarters and on official trips.

According to reports, the harassment took place in front of everyone, inside and outside the institution. Behind the scenes, government officials talk about sexual and moral harassment. There are also reports of swearing at employees.

In a note, the lawyer José Luis Oliveira Lima, who defends Guimarães, said that the former executive “denies emphatically any irregular conduct while he was in charge of Caixa Econômica Federal”.

“Actually, there is no change or novelty in the position of the MPT,” said the lawyer. “Unfortunately in some cases, the prosecution tries to create a sensational atmosphere in the investigations.”