PCC decided winner of bid between forged companies – 04/16/2024 – Daily

Members of the criminal faction PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital) were part of companies that simulated competitions and decided the winners of tenders in city halls and municipal councils in Greater São Paulo.

An operation launched by the Public Ministry this Tuesday morning (16) arrested 13 suspects of being part of an organized crime money laundering scheme, in addition to committing crimes such as corruption and cartel formation. Two other suspects are at large.

R$3.5 million in checks were seized, in addition to R$600,000 and US$8,600 in cash at the search and seizure sites. In total, 11 public buildings were the target of the warrants, including six city halls and five municipal councils, 10 commercial establishments and 21 residences.

According to prosecutor Yuri Fisberg, the companies investigated operated under corporate names and worked mainly on cleaning and surveillance contracts and access control for public buildings. The companies participating in the scheme were made up of the same people and took turns in the bidding processes.

The prosecutor did not detail how the participation of PCC members in choosing the winning companies in the tenders worked because the targets are still under confidential investigation.

Councilors Flavio Batista de Souza (Podemos), from Ferraz de Vasconcelos, were arrested; Luiz Carlos Alves Dias, Luizão Architect (MDB), from Santa Isabel; and Ricardo de Oliveira, known as Ricardo Queixão (PSD), from Cubatão. In addition to them, public agents, businessmen and a lawyer are among those arrested.

When contacted, Luizão Arquiteto’s office said it would not comment on the arrest. The Santa Isabel Legislature says it is cooperating with the investigations, but has not yet been notified about the arrest.

A Sheet was unable to contact the defense of the other prisoners until the publication of this text. The Cubatão City Council states that it is collaborating with the investigation teams, providing all requested documents. And the Chamber of Ferraz de Vasconcelos did not respond.

Lawyer Áureo Tupinambá de Oliveira Fausto Filho, one of the defenders of international drug trafficker André de Oliveira Macedo, known as André do Rap, is one of those arrested in the operation. The complaint points out that the group has contracts in force totaling more than R$200 million in recent years.

According to the investigation, companies acted recurrently to frustrate competition in the processes of hiring outsourced labor in several city halls and municipal councils in the state. The contracts under investigation were signed in the cities of Guarulhos, São Paulo, Ferraz de Vasconcelos, Cubatão, Arujá, Santa Isabel, Poá, Jaguariúna, Guarujá, Sorocaba, Buri, Itatiba. There are suspicions in other municipalities as well.

PROSECUTION CARRIES 2ND OPERATION AGAINST THE PCC IN ONE WEEK

On Tuesday (9), two bus companies that operate in public transport in São Paulo were the target of an operation by the Public Ministry that investigates suspected links with the criminal faction PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital).

The action served 3 of 4 arrest warrants and aimed to carry out another 52 searches and seizures against directors of the companies Transwolff and Upbus, responsible for transporting at least 700 thousand passengers daily in the capital of São Paulo and who received more than R$ 800 million in remuneration. of São Paulo City Hall in 2023, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

The court ruled and SPTrans, a municipal transport company, took over the operation of the lines managed by the two companies.

The objective of the operation, called Fim da Linha, is to dismantle two organizations suspected of laundering money from drug trafficking, robberies and other crimes.

Luiz Carlos Efigênio Pacheco, Pandora, owner of Transwolff, partner Joelson Santos da Silva and Robson Flares Lopes Pontes, director of the company, were arrested. Elio Rodrigues dos Santos, company secretary, was arrested for illegal possession of a weapon during the searches.

The fourth target of the operation remains at large. Silvio Luiz Ferreira, known as Cebola, is considered a leader of the PCC. In 2022, he was appointed as the owner of 56 UPBus buses.

The report was unable to contact the prisoners’ defense.