Investigations into Delta reach the São Paulo state government.
The Public Prosecutor's Office has reopened an investigation to evaluate a contract with the construction company owned by Fernando Cavendish, which is involved with the illegal gambling operator Carlos Cachoeira.
Fernando Porfírio _247 – The Public Prosecutor's Office of São Paulo reopened on Wednesday, February 2nd, a civil inquiry that had been archived, to investigate a contract between Delta Construções S/A and the São Paulo state government for alleged fraud in bidding processes and administrative contracts. The company is mentioned in investigations into the network of influence of illegal gambling operator Carlos Augusto Ramos, known as Carlinhos Cachoeira.
The renovation works on the Marginal Tietê highway were tendered in 2009 by Dersa (Desenvolvimento Rodoviário S/A). The state-owned company contracted the Nova Tietê consortium – formed by Delta Construções S/A and Sobrenco Engenharia e Comércio Ltda – for the construction of Lot 1, and the Desenvolvimento Viário consortium – formed by the companies EIT-Empresa Industrial Técnica S/A and Engesa Engenharia S/A, responsible for Lot 2.
The Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating whether the two contracts (nos. 3909/09 and 3908/09) were increased by approximately 24,9% compared to the original prices, which would constitute overpricing.
According to prosecutor Marcelo Duarte Daneluzzi, the Public Prosecutor's Office wants to investigate "irregularities in the execution of works and services of the metropolitan strategic road system development program resulting from agreements signed between the government of the State of São Paulo and the municipality of São Paulo, regarding the new Tietê Marginal Highway, relating to lots 1 and 2".
The public prosecutor requested that the Federal Police delegate in Brasília, Mateus Mela Rodrigues, share the wiretapped phone conversations and "other confidential documents" related to the contracts for the new Tietê Marginal Highway.
The Public Prosecutor's Office also requested that Dersa (Desenvolvimento Rodoviário S/A) provide complete copies of the administrative procedure that analyzed lots 1 and 2 of the Nova Marginal Tietê project within 20 days. The Public Prosecutor's Office also requested that the State Court of Auditors (TCE) send copies of technical reports and any decisions made by the court regarding the Nova Marginal Tietê project.
Last week, Governor Geraldo Alckmin said he considered it positive to investigate the construction company's activities in the state. "We had contracts (with Delta) that have ended and aren't even from my term. Now, we have three or four of small value. It's always good to review and analyze, it's always positive," said Alckmin, during the opening of an agricultural fair in Ribeirão Preto (SP).
On Friday the 27th, the São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office also requested from the Federal Police all documents relating to Delta Construções included in the Operation Monte Carlo investigation. The prosecutor's office is investigating alleged irregularities in a contract between Delta and the City of São Paulo, worth R$ 1,1 billion, for street sweeping.
The day before, the PT (Workers' Party) caucus in the Legislative Assembly filed a request with the Public Prosecutor's Office asking for an investigation into contracts with the state government, pointing out that a project carried out by Delta had a 75% increase over the initial value.