This Tuesday (22), the Federal Police fulfills seven search and seizure warrants in an operation that investigates the “targeting and overpricing in the sale of pulmonary ventilators to the State of São Paulo”, as disclosed by the corporation.
The investigations that gave rise to the warrants indicate that São Paulo acquired, in April 2020, 1,280 lung fans for the value of R$ 242,247,500. The purchase was carried out through a waiver of bidding with the company Hichens Harrison.
According to the PF, an investigation carried out by criminal experts identified an abusive price of BRL 63,318,356.00 and “elements that indicate improper targeting”.
Federal criminal experts carried out an analysis of the process and made a comparison with other contracts carried out in Brazil and identified the overprice. An analysis by technicians from the São Paulo State Court of Auditors also pointed out that prices were incompatible with market prices.
In addition to fraud in the acquisition of equipment, the evidence also suggests the occurrence of money laundering through typology, which is the practice when the intermediary company, which receives the amounts from the contracting government, sends an installment for payment of undue advantages. and another installment to pay the product supplier.
The PF searches are aimed at collecting other elements, in addition to the possible crime of criminal association, passive corruption and active corruption.
Other side
Through a note, the Health Department of São Paulo reported that it is available to provide clarification and collaborate with investigations. However, the note states that the state government condemns “the spectacularization of the action”.
“The purchase of respirators was essential at the beginning of the pandemic and fundamental to save lives, at a time of inertia of the Federal Government, which did not distribute equipment to the states, and high demand in the international market”, says the statement.
The Health note states that the folder “could not sit idly by in the face of such an urgent need”. “This right decision prevented São Paulo from having the sad scenes that would later happen in Manaus, with the lack of oxygen supply”, stated the document.
The secretariat stressed that the acquisition of respirators contributed to the expansion of the public health network, which had a total of 4,000 new equipment in the SUS (Unified Health System).
According to the folder, the 1,280 respirators of the contract with Hichens Harrison were delivered, even after the secretariat asked for the contract to be terminated due to non-compliance with the deadline. “The company obtained an injunction in court to do so. The acquisition complied with the legal requirements and the state and national public calamity decrees and all clarifications have been duly provided to the control bodies”, says the government in the note.
Source: CNN Brasil
