Mafia: Supreme Court summons congressman to provide explanations.
Federal deputy, former mayor of Maceió, and pre-candidate for mayor of the capital, Cícero Almeida (PMDB), was summoned by Minister Dias Toffoli to provide clarifications to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) regarding the criminal case concerning the investigation of the so-called "Garbage Mafia," which consisted of illegal contracts signed between the municipality and two garbage collection companies; the scheme occurred during his administration and allegedly resulted in the embezzlement of more than R$ 200 million.
Alagoas 247 - Federal deputy Cícero Almeida (PMDB) was summoned to provide clarifications to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) regarding Criminal Action No. 956, which deals with the investigation of the so-called Garbage Mafia, for which Almeida is held responsible. The summons from Minister Dias Toffoli, rapporteur of the process in the Supreme Court, was issued this Wednesday (15). In addition to the former mayor, twelve witnesses listed by the defense must also be heard.
In the order, the minister issues a Letter of Request to the 13th Federal Criminal Court of the Judicial Section of Alagoas, so that the witnesses may be personally summoned or required to appear. Furthermore, Toffoli adds that the defendant, in this case Cícero Almeida, must be personally summoned to appear at the hearings scheduled by the Supreme Federal Court.
In a decision issued last month, the reporting judge accepted the number of witnesses listed by the federal deputy's defense. They are: Paulo Valter Gondin, Max Luciano da Rocha Trindade, Elionaldo Maurício Magalhães Moraes, Luiza Beltrão Soares, Carlos Roberto Lima Marques, Fernando Sérgio Tenório de Amorim, Marcelo Henrique Brabo Magalhães, João Lipo Neto, Niradelson Salvador da Silva, Hiran Calheiros Malta, Carlos Roberto Ferreira Costa, and Carlos Alberto Marques dos Anjos. All must testify in this criminal case.
Almeida's defense in the case is being handled by lawyer Antônio Nabor Areias Bulhões. According to the decision, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) failed to present the names of the prosecution witnesses within the procedural timeframe and, therefore, has lost this right.
Investigation
The scheme, dubbed the "Garbage Mafia," involved the signing of illegal contracts between the City Hall of Maceió and two garbage collection companies operating in the capital of Alagoas. During Cícero Almeida's tenure as mayor of Maceió, the scheme allegedly resulted in the embezzlement of over R$ 200 million from the municipality's coffers.
In April of this year, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) had denied the appeal filed by the defense of federal deputy and former mayor of Maceió, Cícero Almeida (PMDB), with the objective of suspending the criminal proceedings in which he is a defendant, after the State Public Prosecutor's Office (MPE), through the then Attorney General of Justice, Eduardo Tavares, denounced the so-called Garbage Mafia - a scheme through which approximately R$ 200 million were allegedly diverted from public coffers.
The criminal case – which is almost 200 pages long and was sent to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) because Almeida enjoys privileged jurisdiction – has Justice Dias Toffoli as the rapporteur, with lawyer Nabor Bulhões responsible for the defense of the former mayor, accused of improper waiver of bidding procedures when contracting the companies Limpel and Viva Ambiental to provide urban cleaning services in Maceió.
With gazetaweb.com