Public agents and businesspeople are being investigated by the Civil Police of the Federal District for alleged favoritism in the contract to supply food to patients at the Hospital de Base do DF, the main hospital in Brasília, and Emergency Care Units (UPAs), administered by the Institute of Strategic Health Management of the Federal District (Iges-DF).
The investigators’ estimate of the total value until the end of the contract is R$300 million.
The suspects are targets of an operation launched on Wednesday morning (28) with the support of the DF Public Ministry. There are 20 search and seizure warrants served in the DF, in Macapá (AP) and Goiânia (GO).
Telephones, computers, documents and R$145,000 in cash were seized.
According to the Civil Police of the Federal District, the investigation opened in April 2023 gathered evidence that the company’s service was provided in a precarious manner, given the lack of supplies, delays in deliveries and lack of equipment suitable for food production, causing several disruptions to the nutritional plan of patients, thus hindering the full recovery of patients.
Investigators say that the investigations revealed strong evidence that indicates contractual bias, undue favoritism towards the company providing the service, which, despite the numerous flaws found, had its contract renewed and its requests for an increase in the amounts transferred by Iges-DF met.
And they found “solid evidence” that this alignment between businesspeople and Iges-DF managers occurred due to the receipt of undue benefits, in the form of bribes, for public servants.
The search and seizure warrants are at addresses linked to the business center of the service provider and to Iges-DF employees, in addition to the Institute’s own headquarters.
Other side
The Institute of Strategic Health Management (IgesDF) said in a statement that it is aware of Operation Escudeiro and is awaiting the progress of the investigations conducted by the competent authorities. “We are committed to providing all the information necessary to clarify the facts.”
This content was originally published in Operation targets suspects for bribery in 300 million contract in DF health on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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