Federal lawmaker Luciene Cavalcante, state legislator Carlos Giannazi and São Paulo city councilor Celso Giannazi, all members of PSOL, filed a complaint with the state Public Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, October 30, asking it to investigate the dismissal of Silvana Pereira Gimenes from a management position in the administration of Governor Tarcísio de Freitas. Gimenes remains a public employee.
Gimenes had worked in public service for 41 years and coordinated program development at the State Secretariat for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Her removal was published in the state’s Official Gazette on October 28. It followed her criticism on social media of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who had referred to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as “nine fingers” during a TV Globo debate. The remark has been described as ableist.
In their filing, the PSOL politicians ask prosecutors to examine whether the dismissal involved political retaliation, misuse of purpose or a violation of the rights of people with disabilities. The complaint is addressed to prosecutors responsible for public assets and social affairs and names Tarcísio and state disability-rights secretary Marcos da Costa.
The state government denies that Gimenes’s criticism of Flávio Bolsonaro, an ally of the governor, played a role. It said her removal resulted from administrative adjustments at the secretariat. Costa said the decision was his and was made to reorganize responsibilities and prevent overlapping duties. He said neither personal matters nor the employee’s political statements motivated the decision.
The lawmakers are seeking details about the adjustments cited by the government, including their nature, when they were planned and whether other dismissals or structural changes took place in the department around the same time. They also ask prosecutors to identify the public officials who ordered and formalized Gimenes’s removal and, if irregularities are found, take appropriate administrative or legal action.
Sources: Folha Poder.