04/12/2024 – 20:52
The mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes (MDB), stated this Friday, 12th, that he cannot at this time terminate the contracts signed with bus companies being investigated for alleged links with the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC). He argues that he cannot act based on suspicion and prefers to wait for a possible conviction before breaking off the deals. Furthermore, he highlighted that his main concern is to keep public transport running in the capital of São Paulo.
“Evidence has existed for decades. Comments that criminal organizations participate in bus companies have existed for decades. Specifically, a conviction that causes the administration to change its contract, that provides legal support for any change, we effectively do not have,” said Nunes in an interview with the SBT News channel.
According to Nunes, it was the City Hall itself that asked the Public Ministry to investigate the companies, since only the agency could break the tax and telephone secrecy of the suspects. He reiterated that the City Hall is the party most interested in resolving the case.
“I can’t act with suspicion”, he pondered to the TV channel. “I cannot break a contract based on suspicions, because people are there in the process of defending themselves. But I have hope, expectation, that this time they (Public Ministry) will, with this major operation, resolve this situation”, he added.
On Tuesday, the 9th, Operation End of the Line took place, the largest ever carried out against the infiltration of organized crime in municipal public authorities in the country. The result of a four-year investigation conducted by the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco) of the Public Ministry of São Paulo, together with the Federal Revenue Service and the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade). Four accused were arrested. On the same day, 29 people were reported to court.
The companies UPBus and Transwolff are under investigation, with UPBus being identified as being controlled by members of the PCC's top leadership and their families. In total, seven companies are or have already been investigated by the police and Public Prosecutor's Office, as revealed by the Estadão in February. These companies, together, are responsible for transporting 27.5% of bus passengers in the capital and received R$2 billion from the City Hall in 2023 alone.
The court ordered the arrest of three company shareholders and an accountant, in addition to imposing precautionary measures on five other defendants. It was also determined that R$684 million in the assets of those under investigation would be blocked to compensate the victims. Furthermore, Gaeco called as witnesses councilor Milton Leite (União), president of the São Paulo City Council, and federal deputy Jilmar Tatto (PT-SP), former secretary of Transport for the city, in the case involving Transwolff.
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