Presidency´s Note - Investigation of irregularities
January 24, 2025 01h59 PM | Last Updated: January 27, 2025 02h51 PM
1 - Report of irregularities:
Based on an anonymous report received by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics´ Attorney General in October 2024, the Administration of the IBGE started an internal investigation on the existence of private advisories of officers illegally installed within the IBGE, as well as reported it to the Federal Prosecutor´s Office (MPF), according to Annex I. Since then, news and rallies against the IBGE Administration stepped up.
2 - MPF procedure:
One of those private advisories is SCIENCE - SOCIEDADE PARA O DESENVOLVIMENTO DA PESQUISA CIENTÍFICA, which employs acting and retired IBGE officers and even a former President mentioned in a procedure opened by the MPF to investigate the work of this advisory (Annex II and its Attached documents).
3 - Conflict of interests:
The IBGE´s Coordination of Human Resources identified conflicts of interests in the work of SCIENCE, according to a Technical Note available on Annex III.
4 - Resources from the IBGE to SCIENCE:
Recently, the IBGE Administration also identified documents that suggests a contribution of US$50 thousand from the IBGE to the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and from the IADB to SCIENCE, aiming at carrying out a survey, according to the attached documents:
i) Letter no. 123/2023/IBGE/PR from the IBGE to the IADB, in which the IBGE commits to contribute with US$50 thousand to the survey "Climate change and environmental indicators;" (Annex IV)
ii) Covenant letter from the IADB to SCIENCE anticipating a transference of US$440 thousand to carry out the same survey, as well as additional resources of more US$220 thousand, adding up to US$660 thousand (clause 6). (Annex V)
In a bid to hire an advisor, SCIENCE indicates the IBGE as the place of on-site work, suggesting an improper use of IBGE´s assets and resources for private purposes, according to document available on Annex I.
5 - Duty to investigate:
Despite all the pressure, the IBGE Administration is committed to wholly investigate any possible irregularity within the IBGE.
Therefore, the IBGE Administration reinforces its officers and society that it will not deter to investigate any possible irregularity within the IBGE, appointing the IBGE´s Attorney General to forward possible reports that help the investigation, assuring the confidentiality.
That´s why the IBGE Administration considers absurd any suggestion that investigating irregularities might be qualified as an authoritarian measure of the Administration, exactly by those investigated.
6 - Exit of Directors:
The recent exit of IBGE Directors is not related with the reports that are being investigated.
7 - The IBGE Administration trusts in the Rule of Law and in the authorities in charge of the investigation:
The IBGE Administration asks the institution and society to understand the time required by the investigations, given the autonomy of the external and internal investigation bodies, adding that it will watch out for any improper pressure from outside.
The IBGE Administration reinforces its trust in the professional and independent work of the internal and external investigation bodies, especially the Federal Prosecutor´s Office, Federal Court of Audit and Federal Attorney General´s Office, which count and will count with all the support from the IBGE Administration for the complete investigation of any irregularity.
Lastly, the IBGE Administration realizes that the internal investigations should not interfere, and they will not interfere, in the development of surveys with methodological and technical rigor and international standard of reference, led by competent and skilled officers in the IBGE´s mission of portraying Brazil with information required to the knowledge of its reality and exercise of citizenship.
