The Public Ministry of the State of Rio de Janeiro, with the support of the Civil Police, launched the “Toque de Caixa” operation, with the aim of complying with one arrest warrant and eight search and seizure warrants. The targets are suspected of embezzling more than R$6 million from Arraial do Cabo City Hall. The action takes place this Tuesday (18).
According to investigations, the crimes took place between 2018 and 2020. Among the suspects are a businessman, a former deputy mayor of Arraial do Cabo, government secretaries from the Health and Works departments, public servants assigned to advisory positions , coordination and direction in municipal departments.
Public servants, an engineer and a construction inspector are also among those investigated.
According to the RJ MP, the crimes began in 2020, when the mayor resigned from office due to a judicial measure, which allowed one of the accused to assume the executive position and authorize the release of payments in the last week of the term.
The suspects authorized payment for works and services not carried out, the companies MAF do Nazareth and Atlantic received R$ 6,564,015.98 million from the city of Arraial do Cabo, to carry out works at the Figueira Health Post and the Hermes Barcellos Health Center.
Investigations revealed that the two construction companies were created exclusively to sign contracts with the Municipality of Arraial do Cabo between 2018 and 2020. One of these companies used in the scheme belongs to the former partner of drug trafficker Antônio Francisco Bonfim Lopes, Nem, from Rocinha.
The money sent for the construction of health units was deposited with the contracted companies and then distributed to private accounts, to hide the money.
The investigation also highlighted the disappearance of administrative processes and documents relating to bidding procedures related to companies, in an attempt to make it difficult to investigate illegal acts carried out by the criminal group.
In a statement, the City of Arraial do Cabo stated that the operation focuses on the previous mandate, therefore it did not comment on what happened.
The main target of the operation was arrested early in the morning. The Public Ministry indicted 19 people for the crimes of ideological falsehood, embezzlement, active and passive corruption, ordering unauthorized expenditure, false testimony and money laundering.
Source: CNN Brasil
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