Banned by the courts, how did João manage to hire Jaime Lerner?

247 – One day after the architecture firm of former Paraná governor Jaime Lerner met with Mayor João Alves Filho (DEM) to show the first projects for the redesign of the Expansion Zone (Model Neighborhood) and the renovation of Parque da Sementeira, the Public Prosecutor's Office of that State announced that the Court had ordered Lerner to return R$ 4,3 million to public coffers for administrative misconduct and also prohibited the former governor from entering into contracts with the public sector. His political rights were also suspended. The sentence is dated last April, but was only released this Thursday (15) by the Public Prosecutor's Office. Lerner signed a contract with the Aracaju city hall in May. How did this happen, if there was this judicial prohibition? And now, what happens to the works he is planning for the capital?  

The civil action filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office for the Protection of Public Assets refers to the payment of compensation authorized by Lerner on December 26, 2002 – five days before the end of his eight-year term. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, "the former governor authorized an undue payment of compensation in the amount of R$ 40 million in favor of Antonio Reis, assignee of rights from José Marcos de Almeida Formighieri, even after being warned about numerous flaws and obstacles to the payment."

The Public Prosecutor's Office reported that "the compensation was allegedly paid due to an act of exception during the military regime, when approximately 200 plots of land in the municipality of Cascavel were expropriated, based on a state constitutional amendment whose legality the Paraná government itself was challenging in a direct action of unconstitutionality. Furthermore, there was no proof of ownership of the land, and the State Attorney General's Office had issued an opinion against the payment of compensation."

According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, Lerner also had his political rights suspended for five years and is prohibited from contracting with the public sector or receiving tax or credit benefits or incentives, directly or indirectly, for five years. The penalty is the same for Antonio Reis and José Marcos de Almeida Formighieri, who will also have to pay a civil fine of 5% of the value of the damage caused to the public treasury and are prohibited from having relations with the State for three years.

In a report by Portal UOL, Jaime Lerner's defense says that the compensation was not paid. Next Tuesday (20), the 4th Civil Chamber will judge a new appeal on the case. "In the Lerner government, only the request for compensation [for the payment of compensation in tax credits] was granted, based on a provision of the State Constitution," says the defense.

CONTRACT WITH ARACAJU

The contract between the Aracaju Municipal Government (PMA) and the Jaime Lerner Arquitetos Associados office was signed in May of this year. This Wednesday, the 14th, the first concept of what the Model Neighborhood will be like and also how the Sementeira Park will look after the renovation was presented. Aware of the needs of the people of Aracaju and responding to the mayor's requests, Jaime Lerner's team developed a project for the park that focused on enhancing the green area and preserving the environment.

Regarding the Model Neighborhood project, it brought together important aspects of development for Aracaju. Satisfied with the first part of the project, João Alves reiterated the importance of preserving green areas and stressed that he wants the new neighborhood to cater to all social classes. Studies and analyses were carried out throughout the Aracaju Expansion Zone, the location where the Model Neighborhood will be built. The main objective of the new neighborhood is to guarantee orderly development that truly contributes to the well-being and comfort of those who will inhabit the area.

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