Federal Police arrest gang in Pará.
The mayor of Vitória do Xingu, in Pará, Liberalino Ribeiro Neto, and secretaries from municipalities in Pará and Alagoas were arrested for embezzling federal funds estimated at over R$ 17 million.
The Federal Police today dismantled a criminal organization with branches in the states of Pará and Alagoas accused of embezzling more than R$ 5 million from public funds through fraudulent bidding processes. Ten people were arrested, including the mayor of Vitória do Xingu, a municipality in southwestern Pará, Liberalino Ribeiro Neto, and his father, the former mayor of Marechal Deodoro (AL), José Danilo Dâmaso de Almeida. According to the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU), the investigations involve R$ 17 million in federal funds that were transferred to Vitória do Xingu for use in programs in the areas of health, education, and social assistance.
In addition to the mayor and his father, the municipal secretaries of Health, Public Works, and Finance of Vitória do Xingu were arrested. A search and seizure of documents was also carried out at the city hall, secretariats, and private companies. The investigations originated from a crime report filed by residents of the municipality. According to the Federal Police of Alagoas, Danilo Dâmaso has an extensive criminal record, having already been accused of homicide, forming a criminal gang, using false documents, and crimes against the financial system.
The federal prosecutor in Brasília, Raquel Branquinho, said that the criminal scheme used shell companies in the names of "straw men," inflating the prices of goods and services, and making payments for services not rendered. According to the Federal Police, Vitória do Xingu is a stronghold of the Dâmaso family from Alagoas, which maintains several businesses in the region, such as farms, dairies, and car dealerships.