The city of São Paulo may break contracts with the bus companies Transwolff and UPBus, suspected of links with the PCC, indicated Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB).
In August, the city hired a non-profit organization to carry out an external audit of the companies. After the audit, which highlighted inconsistencies in the companies’ management and financial incapacity, the city hall notified the two companies, which will have 15 days to present their defense. The action was taken on October 31st.
If the justifications are not considered satisfactory, the city hall will begin the bidding process to choose new companies to operate the lines.
In a press conference held this Thursday (7), Mayor Ricardo Nunes did not mention that the companies had links with the PCC, but assured that, even with the investigation and possible breach of contracts with the bus companies Transwolff and UPBus, the services public transport will be maintained and payments to employees and suppliers of these companies will be guaranteed.
“The city hall will not allow a company without financial conditions to continue operating and putting the payment of its employees and suppliers at risk, there will be no employee without salary payments,” said Nunes.
Understand the case
An operation launched by the Public Ministry of São Paulo (MPSP), in April of this year, targeted the companies Transwolff and UPBus, which operate municipal lines in São Paulo, identified as intermediaries for laundering money originating from PCC organized crime.
According to the MPSP investigation, the companies, which transport more than 700,000 passengers daily in the capital of São Paulo, are linked to the criminal faction Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and used to launder money obtained from various crimes, such as drug trafficking and robberies.
Both companies would have received more than R$800 million from public coffers last year alone. TW, with a fleet of more than 1,200 vehicles, is responsible for operating 90 transport lines in the extreme south of São Paulo. UpBus operates 13 lines in the eastern region of the capital.
Operation Fim da Linha carried out four preventive arrest warrants and 52 search and seizure warrants in the capital of São Paulo and in other cities in the metropolitan region and interior of SP.
The two directors of Transwolff were granted freedom by the São Paulo Court in June, Luiz Carlos Efigênio Pacheco and Robson Flares Lopes were accused of being part of a scheme in which Transwolff received money from the PCC to compete for bids for the City of São Paulo, and thus launder money obtained through drug trafficking and robberies.
THE CNN He contacted Transwolff and UPBus, but so far has not received any response.
*Under the supervision of Bruno Laforé
This content was originally published in SP City Hall can break contracts with bus companies linked to the PCC on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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