Public Prosecutor's Office discovers possible irregularities in flood data in Alagoas.
Of the nine proceedings opened by the State Public Prosecutor's Office, only one found possible irregularities related to the number of people affected by the rains in Alagoas; Colônia Leopoldina was the only municipality to present "intentional irregularities," since it counted an increased number of homeless people, including people from other municipalities, such as affected houses that allegedly belonged to the state of Pernambuco.
Alagoas 247 - Public prosecutor José Carlos Malta Marques delivered this Tuesday (19), to the Attorney General of Justice Alfredo Gaspar de Mendonça, the conclusive report related to the number of people affected by the rains in Alagoas. Of the nine procedures opened, in only one, referring to Colônia Leopoldina, were possible irregularities found that continue to be investigated by the body.
The investigations by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Alagoas (MPE/AL) began shortly after the heavy rains that left hundreds homeless in the state, recorded at the end of May. The work lasted more than two months until the final report was prepared. According to the prosecutor responsible for the investigation, the commission's objective was to prevent the misuse of public funds in the municipalities of Alagoas.
According to the investigations, Colônia Leopoldina was the only one to present "deliberate irregularities," since it counted an increased number of homeless people, including people from other municipalities, such as affected houses that belonged to the state of Pernambuco but were entered as if they were located in Alagoas. In the other cities, there was only a demand failure.
"We left Colônia Leopoldina under investigation with a designated prosecutor. We also left a recommendation for the Public Prosecutor's Office to primarily oversee the problems in hillside areas, areas that are affected by rainfall annually. This is an issue that concerns us," states Malta Marques.
The report also concluded that managers need to implement projects to relocate the population from at-risk areas. According to the Attorney General, mayors have one year to do so. One of the cities of greatest concern in this regard is Maceió, which has a large number of hillside areas. The Attorney General stated that the Public Prosecutor's Office does not want hasty actions, but rather planning.
Risk areas
Following the floods, officials received a recommendation to relocate families from at-risk areas within one year. The deadline for implementing the changes is one year. If another tragedy occurs after this period, the officials may be held criminally liable.
"Enough of burying people due to the absence and failure of public authorities. The managers know where the risk areas are and, therefore, they will have to present a plan within this timeframe. Now, if they don't present it and someone dies in the next rainy season, they could be held responsible for intentional homicide. The Public Prosecutor's Office doesn't want anything abrupt, but rather planned," stated Alfredo Gaspar.
According to Alfredo Gaspar de Mendonça, the great victory provided by the final report is due to the fact that no irregularities were found with public funds, except in Colônia Leopoldina. "This was a victory because, in recent history, this was a constant reality in the tragedies recorded in Alagoas. With this work, we know that public resources were used correctly," he emphasized.
With gazetaweb.com