Gaeco accuses six of fraud in R$ 5.2 billion waste tender in Bauru
The MP-SP filed charges against former municipal secretaries and the CEO of Estre Ambiental for corruption in the award of solid waste management in Bauru.
Formal accusation of fraud in waste tender reaches former secretaries and company in Bauru
The São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office, through Gaeco, filed charges with the courts on Friday (25th) against five of the seven individuals investigated in Operation "Trojan Horse", as reported by g1.globo.com. The case is investigating an alleged fraud in the tender for the concession of the urban solid waste management system in Bauru, a contract designed for 30 years and valued at R$ 5.2 billion — the largest in the city's history.
The formal accusation charges the accused with the crimes of criminal organisation, frustration of competitive bidding, illegal direct contracting, active corruption and passive corruption.
The five accused
The accusation encompasses former municipal secretaries Cilene Chabuh Bordezan (Environment), Vitor João de Freitas Costa (Legal Affairs) and Sara Moura de Jesus (deputy for Environment). Also targeted by the accusation are Hamilton Libório Agle, owner and CEO of Estre Ambiental, and Talita de Andrade Soares Chieregatti, an employee of the concession company.
Two other individuals under investigation — Gisele Moretti, then president of the Association of Recyclable Materials Collectors (Ascam), and her husband Valdomiro Pereira da Silva Filho — were held in temporary detention when the operations were launched, but were released after the legal period expired and will comply with precautionary measures.
How the investigations began
Gaeco's investigation began in March, following reports of threats against recyclable materials collectors from Ascam. Valdomiro, husband of the then president of the entity, allegedly had links with a criminal faction and used this influence to intimidate workers at the association, which maintained contracts exceeding R$ 5 million with Bauru's municipal government, entered into without competitive tender.
Monitoring of telephone calls between Valdomiro and Gisele Moretti revealed that the couple was also arranging schemes to charge bribes and interfere in the city's waste management tender. The interception of conversations pointed to the participation of municipal secretaries and executives from private companies, which led to the launch of two simultaneous operations with the support of the Military Police.
Infiltration in municipal government
According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, former Environment Secretary Cilene Bordezan maintained a romantic relationship with Estre Ambiental's CEO, Hamilton Libório Agle. This connection allegedly allowed the company to draft official documents and technical reports from within the municipal public administration itself, directing the tender rules to its own benefit.
The investigation also revealed attempts to recruit informants in the City Council to defend the project and to approach public officials and a member of the Court of Accounts of the State of São Paulo — who had suspended the tender process.
At the home of former Legal Affairs Secretary Vitor Costa, R$ 240,000 in cash was seized during the execution of search and seizure warrants. The City Council also opened a Processing Commission to investigate the conduct of mayor Suéllen Rosim, cited in intercepted conversations between Cilene Bordezan and Hamilton Agle.
Operation Mobius: irregularities in selective collection
Launched simultaneously with Operation Trojan Horse, Operation Mobius investigates irregularities in the selective collection and ecopoint management contracts provided by Ascam. The investigation identified that Gisele Moretti acted as the general coordinator of the deviations of funds from the R$ 5 million contract signed with the municipality without competitive tender.
Dialogues intercepted by Gaeco show the couple discussing the charging of bribes and improper payments linked to recycling services.
Seven held in temporary detention at launch
The operations resulted in the temporary detention of seven individuals: Cilene Chabuh Bordezan, Vitor João de Freitas Costa, Sara Moura de Jesus, Hamilton Libório Agle, Talita de Andrade Soares Chieregatti, Gisele Moretti and Valdomiro Pereira da Silva Filho. Four of those detained were transferred to prisons in São Paulo. Gisele and Valdomiro were released after the temporary detention period ended, under precautionary measures.
With the formal charges now filed with the judiciary, the case now awaits the judge's decision on whether to accept or reject the accusation, a step that determines the formal opening of criminal proceedings against those investigated.
Source: Google News BR — São Paulo