Court releases defendants accused of scheme at São Paulo City Hall.
Judge Augusto de Siqueira granted the request from the defense of businessman Marco Aurélio de Jesus, consultant Nivaldino Dionsio de Oliveira, and architect Carlos dos Santos Rodrigues.
Fernando Porfírio_247 - The São Paulo Court of Justice revoked the preventive detention and ordered the release of three people accused by the Public Prosecutor's Office of participating in a fraud scheme against the São Paulo City Hall. The group is suspected of falsifying documents to authorize construction projects, causing an estimated loss of around R$ 50 million to the municipality.
According to the complaint, the scheme involved owners and directors of construction companies who used falsified bank authentications to pay the onerous grant, a fee that allows construction to exceed the legal limit. To carry out the fraud, the companies were allegedly aided by intermediaries between them and the city hall.
The court's decision, on a provisional basis, comes from Judge Augusto de Siqueira of the 13th Criminal Chamber. The magistrate granted a request from the defense of businessman Marco Aurélio de Jesus, owner of the construction company Marcanni, consultant Nivaldino Dionísio de Oliveira, and architect Carlos dos Santos Rodrigues. Four other people remain in custody, and nine are fugitives.
The judge justified the decision by stating that the crimes of fraud and conspiracy, attributed to the suspects, are of a patrimonial nature and were committed without violence or serious threat. "Exceptional measures are reserved for cases where social interaction proves inadequate, harmful, or risky," the judge stated.
However, according to the magistrate, the personal circumstances are favorable to the accused and recommend their release. Augusto de Siqueira set bail at R$ 100 for Oliveira, R$ 54 for Jesus and R$ 27 for Rodrigues. “Once bail has been collected, issue a release order,” the magistrate determined at the end of the afternoon this Friday (23).