Serra: 'Facts in Siemens emails did not happen'
The former governor of São Paulo, accused by the German multinational of proposing a deal in the bidding process for the purchase of 40 new trains in order to avoid hindering a CPTM (São Paulo Metropolitan Train Company) tender, claims that in 2008 "the competition held and the lowest prices prevailed"; in a statement published on his Facebook page this Friday, the politician says that it is possible to prove "easily" that "there was no agreement with companies to limit competition"; Serra's name is mentioned in an email exchanged between Siemens executives.
247 – After being fully implicated in the case of bid-rigging in train and subway tenders in São Paulo, former governor José Serra (PSDB) stated this Friday, the 9th, that "the facts suggested in this/these email(s) from Siemens executive(s) did not happen." The politician refers, in a note published on his page on FacebookThis refers to the accusation by the German multinational that Serra had proposed an agreement to the company in order to avoid blocking a CPTM tender for the purchase of 40 new trains in 2008.
To the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, which published In response to the Siemens complaint, Serra had already denied any meetings with executives from companies interested in the CPTM contract and affirmed that the bidding process had been clean. This time, he reinforces that the process itself "was a true anti-cartel action, defending the State and transport users." And that the State saved approximately R$ 200 million at the time with the victory of the Spanish company CAF, which allegedly offered the lowest price.
Read below the full text of José Serra's statement:
The bidding process for the purchase of 40 trains in São Paulo, held in 2008, was a true anti-cartel action, defending the State and transport users.
CAF, a Spanish company, won the bid by offering the lowest price. The state saved approximately 200 million reais and acquired 40 new trains for public transportation.
Siemens, a German company, offered much higher prices. Therefore, it lost, coming in second place. It should be noted that it received no compensation whatsoever. It was neither subcontracted nor won any new contracts. In other words, the events suggested in this/these email(s) from Siemens executive(s) did not occur.
In order to invalidate the bidding process, Siemens filed several appeals in the administrative and judicial spheres, but was unsuccessful. The São Paulo government won in the final instance, at the Superior Court of Justice (STJ). The bidding process and the lower prices then prevailed.
The World Bank, which financed the project, oversaw and approved the entire bidding process.
As can be easily proven, there was no agreement with companies to limit competition. On the contrary, the government and its Metropolitan Transportation Secretariat defended competition and lower prices, for the benefit of the people of São Paulo.