The owner for Shocked pageRaphael Sousa Oliveira, told the PF (Federal Police) have a monthly income of R$300,000 and that publications made on the profile “were not intended to stifle crises”, in an investigation that investigates a alleged R$1.6 billion money laundering scheme.
THE businessman declared to the PF, which has been working in the advertising and marketing field for 12 years and receives funds through the sale of advertising space on the page, with content published at the request of contractors.
The investigation led to jail, in addition to the businessman, funk players Ryan Santana dos Santos, the MC Ryan SP, and Marlon Brendon Coelho Couto Silva, the MC Poze of Rodo.
According to the Federal Police, there is evidence of the existence of a criminal organization structured to launder money from illegal betting and raffles. Of the total handled, approximately R$790 million would have come from amounts from gamblers, victims of illegal raffles, transfers made by criminal factions and unidentified cash deposits, which would have been directed to the accounts of those being investigated.
Raphael Sousa Oliveira’s lawyer, Pedro Paulo de Medeiros, told Sheet that “revenues arising from professional activities (…) come from regular commercial relationships” and that “there is no receipt of amounts of illicit origin, nor operations intended to hide or disguise the nature” of the resources.
The lawyer also stated that he does not confirm nominal values because they involve “data protected by tax and banking secrecy.”
In the testimony, the owner of Choquei highlighted that he is “not salaried” and that the company’s revenue is transferred to his individual accounts. He also stated that, in some cases, he received amounts directly into his personal account for services provided.
The businessman also said that these amounts were omitted from the income tax declaration. According to him in his testimony, “there was an omission in the declaration in these cases”, when referring to payments received outside the company’s account.
Oliveira stated that his income tax returns are made regularly by his accountant and that, in general, the assets, rights and values were correctly reported to the Federal Revenue Service.
The PF questioned the businessman about his relationship with other people being investigated. Oliveira said he knew Ryan Santana dos Santos, MC Ryan SPonly professionally, as an advertising space contractor.
About Marlon Brendon Coelho Couto Silva, the MC Poze do Rodostated that she only knew him through social media.
The businessman also declared that “the content published (…) is made according to the contractor’s request” and that his company “receives to publish what is requested”, adding that there is a filter, but that the content is defined by whoever hires it.
Regarding the communication dynamics, Raphael stated that he “did not participate in messaging groups (WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal or others) related to financial operations, remittances or transport of values” with the people investigated.
He also declared that he has no knowledge of the origin of the values transferred by others being investigated. In relation to practices investigated, such as fractionalization of values, use of intermediaries and conversion of resources into cryptoactives, he said he had no knowledge or involvement.
Understand the charges
Raphael is one of the 39 targets of arrest warrants issued by the Federal Court in scope of Operation Narco Fluxo.
According to the PF, music professionals with thousands of followers on social media created a sophisticated and complex system to move illicit resources. Raphael, according to the investigation, would have the role of media operator.
Choquei has 27.1 million followers on Instagram and 9.4 million on His personal page has 1.4 million followers on Instagram.
The page administrator is described in the investigation as responsible for disseminating content favorable to the singer MC Ryan SP, appointed as the center of the structurein addition to promoting betting platforms and digital raffles.
The court’s decision states that Raphael received “high amounts” from members of the group, in exchange for acting as a media operator, which consisted of disseminating content, promoting bets and managing image. The amount received was not specified.
In his statement, the businessman stated that he was not aware of any possible criminal scheme and said he did not have information that could contribute to the investigation. According to the statement, he was never arrested or criminally prosecuted.
In a note, the defense stated that any amounts received by individuals “are identified, reconciled in accounting by the legal entity and (…) treated as distribution of profits to the partner”, a model that, according to the lawyer, is “lawful and usual in the segment”.
The defense said that this dynamic “is frequent in regular commercial relationships”, especially when there is intermediation by agencies or companies in the sector.
Finally, the defense stated that Raphael “appeared spontaneously” to the Federal Police, provided clarifications and “remains available to collaborate with the investigation”, adding that the analysis of the case must consider the complete set of elements.
