"The Union's contract with EBP is a ticking time bomb."
The Federal Court accepted the popular action filed by federal deputy Augusto Coutinho (SDD) requesting the halting of ongoing bidding processes in Brazilian ports and the suspension of payments to Estruturadora Brasileira de Projetos (EBP) by the Special Secretariat of Ports (SEP); according to the parliamentarian, there are indications of favoritism to benefit EBP and prevent the participation of other companies; "This is a PT deal to finance next year's election campaign. It's a time bomb about to explode, like the mensalão scandal," he said; EBP has already filed an appeal to reverse the decision.
Paulo Emílio / Pernambuco247 - The Federal Court accepted the popular action filed by federal deputy Augusto Coutinho (SDD) requesting the halting of ongoing bidding processes in Brazilian ports and the suspension of payments to Estruturadora Brasileira de Projetos (EBP) by the Special Secretariat of Ports (SEP). The injunction was granted by Judge Itagiba Catta Preta Neto, of the 4th Court of the Federal District, who ordered the continuation of the projects but suspended the payments. According to the parliamentarian, there is evidence of favoritism to benefit EBP and prevent the participation of other companies in the preparation of the projects. EBP has already filed an appeal to reverse the decision.
“It’s a ticking time bomb. EBP has among its shareholders the largest private banks in the country, in addition to BNDES/PAR and Banco do Brasil. The Federal Government didn’t hold a bidding process, price quotation, or anything like that. It simply issued a decree authorizing EBP to carry out the projects and imposed a series of requirements and restrictions that prevent any other company from participating in the preparation of the necessary projects. This is a PT deal to finance next year’s election campaign,” Coutinho exclaimed.
The congressman states that currently EBP is the only company qualified to prepare the bidding processes for 159 port areas and two Brazilian ports, 5,7 kilometers of privatized highways, and five airports. "Is there no other company in Brazil capable of doing this?" the congressman questioned. Coutinho estimates that the bidding processes for the national ports alone should generate R$ 63 million for the company. "Furthermore, after the projects are put out to tender, financing is obtained from banks that are part of EBP's shareholder base. It's a large cycle that works this way," he stated. According to him, the case has been reported to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Court of Accounts so that the existence of possible irregularities can be investigated.
Sources linked to EBP confirm that eight private banks, in addition to BNDES, are part of the company's shareholder structure. "What exists is a great deal of misinformation on the part of the congressman. We have ten completed projects and only two have requested financing from a shareholder bank. Furthermore, EBP's remuneration is paid by the winner of the bidding process and not by the Federal Government," said an EBP source who prefers to remain anonymous.
In a statement, EBP said it hopes to reverse the decision after the courts evaluate the case more thoroughly and that it believes the "studies will be accepted on their merits by both the administration and the oversight bodies and the Judiciary" due to the "consistency of the findings."