Milton Leite was "de facto owner" of Transwolff linked to PCC, indictment indicates
Former president of São Paulo City Council allegedly wielded decisive influence over bus company Transwolff, identified as infiltrated by the PCC in São Paulo's public transport.
Former councillor Milton Leite under suspicion of controlling company linked to PCC
The indictment of Milton Leite, former president of São Paulo's City Council, exposed details of the politician's alleged participation in a criminal organisation infiltrated into the capital's public transport system. According to cnnbrasil.com.br, the investigation indicates that Leite exercised significant influence over Transwolff, one of São Paulo's major bus companies, while still serving as a councillor.
São Paulo's Civil Police assert that Leite held a prominent position in the decision-making of Transwolff's directors, a company that came under municipal intervention from April 2024 on suspicion of links to the PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital), before its routes were transferred to other operators.
Reports of "strawmen" and collection messages
During investigations, military police officers heard in another case stated that the former councillor would be the "de facto owner" of Transwolff and that the company's directors were "strawmen". Police recovered messages in which Leite demands payments outstanding from Luiz Carlos Efigênio Pacheco and requests action to regularise debts, which, according to investigators, demonstrates his ability to direct Cícero Oliveira's conduct on matters of the company's assets.
Cícero Oliveira, for his part, "repeatedly forwarded" to the former councillor strategic information about public transport, including SPTrans documents, studies on electric fleet remuneration and negotiations for vehicle acquisition.
Report indicates "significant ascendancy"
The police report concludes that Leite did not act as a mere occasional recipient of information. "There are indications that he exercised significant ascendancy over Cícero de Oliveira, influencing decisions, monitoring strategic projects and intervening in financial matters related to the investigated group," the document states.
These situations of influence are described by the Civil Police as "entirely consistent" with the thesis that the former councillor was the actual owner of the bus company.
Leite denies links to organised crime
Milton Leite denied any connection to organised crime during the investigations. The politician stated that all his actions occurred in the regular exercise of public and administrative duties, and rejected being a partner, directly or indirectly, in transport companies.
Network involves politicians, officials and lawyers
The investigation, conducted by Dise (Drug Investigations Unit) in Mogi das Cruzes, identified a network of relationships between the PCC, politicians—including Milton Leite—, public servants such as the former president of SPTrans, and lawyers who allegedly acted as intermediaries for the faction.
The scheme involved using people in intermediate positions to conceal the supposed persons responsible for business dealings, payments to PCC members and possible interference in procurement processes and campaign financing.
In addition to Leite, 15 other suspects were indicted for organised crime in the same inquiry.
Investigations continue with focus on money laundering
Despite the conclusion of the inquiry and the 16 indictments, the Civil Police reported that investigations continue. The next steps include analysis of pending materials, deepening of suspicions of money laundering and identification of any participants not detected so far.
The report will be submitted to the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Judiciary for analysis.
Source: Google News BR — Crime