The São Paulo Civil Police are investigating a suspected embezzlement scheme involving contracts totaling 875 million reais at Cajamar City Hall in the São Paulo metropolitan area.
The investigation began in August this year following accusations of alleged corruption in the administrations of former mayor Danilo João (PSD) and current mayor Cowan Berto (PSD) from 2020 to 2024. both men are allies (Featured photo).
Police said the information “indicates the actions of a criminal group composed of public officials and businessmen who may have profited from public resources through various mechanisms of fraud and organized corruption.”
fart big cityDanilo João and Cajamar City Hall deny the accusations (Please read below). The former mayor was a primary candidate for the state Legislature and elected Cowan to succeed him in 2024 with nearly 93% of the vote. He is married to TV presenter Nadja Haddad.
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Suspicions are under investigation
According to the police, one of the main areas of the investigation is the execution of a suspicious expropriation of real estate whose value, according to the complaint, would exceed R$165 million.
Another core of the investigation concerns the alleged diversion of resources through organizations linked to the city of Cajamar, which has a population of 93,000 people and an annual budget of 1.3 billion reais.
“Through analysis of the complaints, other relevant points were identified, such as deposits linked to political patronage, shell companies receiving significant income, appointment of family members and allies in strategic positions, and possible mechanisms of money laundering through the organization,” the civilian police report said. big city.
According to the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP), the investigation will be carried out under judicial secrecy by the Franco da Rocha District Police Department’s specialized anti-corruption, organized crime and money laundering unit.
The police report states that as a result of the investigation, corroboration of some of the facts stated in the complaint has already been identified on official grounds, which “follows a chronology consistent with the elements discovered so far.”
According to the São Paulo Ministry of Public Affairs (MPSP), “the plan will involve members of parliament, politicians from past administrations, businesses, friends, public authorities and entities that benefit from the diverted resources.” Moreover, according to the authorities, “the total amount of deviations that may be added to the specific complaint will exceed R$875 million.”
strong bond of friendship
According to the investigation, the partners of A2W Tecnologia Ltda are close friends of the former mayor of Cajamar and had received promises of more than R33 million from the municipality for information technology services. During Danilo João’s government, relatives of partners would also have been appointed to city hall commissions.
In the report, police claim to have confirmed payments to the company. Additionally, a luxury car dealership owned by the same owners as A2W has been identified as a possible vehicle for money laundering, with cars acquired and used by public authorities, including Danilo João’s brother.
The complaint filed with the police also points out that the civil servant, who was appointed in May 2022 as Undersecretary for Modernization, Technology and Innovation at Kajamar City Hall, held the position of “technical leader” at A2W Tecnologia from February 2021 to June 2022. This indicates that he was still employed at the company at the time of his appointment. As secretary, he signed A2W’s certificate of technical competency.
The report contacted the technology companies but did not receive a response. fart big city Danilo Joan said that A2W has been active on the market since 2008 and is contracted through regular tenders for the supply and rental of computer equipment, including technology rooms within the city’s network.
“The Comptroller’s Office analyzed the contract and found it to be genuine. In the complaint, the sum of values over the years is used in a distorted way to suggest irregularities, which is not sustainable,” says the former mayor.
Regarding the luxury car dealership owned by the same owner as A2W, Joan said, “There is no evidence or documentation linking the local government to the suspicion that the company was used for money laundering,” adding that the personal acquisition was a personal act and had nothing to do with the government.
family business
- According to a complaint investigated by civilian police, Cajamar City Hall promised and contracted more than 50 million reais through tenders and agreed tenders with companies owned by the immediate family of former mayor Danilo João.
- Of these companies, only one in the construction sector, in which João’s uncle and cousin were partners, received R$47 million between 2021 and 2023. Employees close to him were appointed to committee positions related to departments and divisions responsible for approving payments to companies, according to the complaint.
- Among these employees is a childhood friend of the former mayor, known as Miltinho, who has been appointed from time to time to various committee positions at City Hall.
- The other candidate was a cousin of Danilo João, who also employed his wife in the city administration.
- The former mayor claims the allegations are old and led to the arrest of a former employee of former mayor Tonino Rivas, João’s political rival in Cajamar, on extortion charges.
- He said the construction company has been serving the municipality since 2003, “always by participating in regular tender processes.”
- “During his administration, there were no direct contracts or exemptions from tenders with the aforementioned companies. All acquired materials were used for public works projects duly certified by the Infrastructure Secretariat, which is comprised of qualified technical staff,” the former mayor said.
- Joan said of the appointed employees: “They have never worked as inspectors or contractual managers for the companies mentioned.” “Inspection, material management and contract management were the exclusive responsibility of the Infrastructure Secretariat, which consisted of engineers and a professional technical team,” he added.
“Nucleo Barueri” and expropriation
The indictment also reveals the possible existence of a cartel of companies based in São Paulo’s metropolitan city of Barueri, which would have benefited from public contracts with city hall worth a total of 206 million reais, according to civilian police.
This part of the complaint mentions at least four companies, two of which are affiliated with the same partners and both have addresses associated with the former mayor in Barueri.
“Of particular significance” is the appointment of an employee of a company as a construction inspector for Kajamal City Hall, the commission said in a document, citing a “clear conflict of interest”. Additionally, the complaint alleges that despite the promised amounts, the contracted services would not have been effectively performed.
“During Danilo Joao’s term (2020-2024), in addition to suspicious expropriations and the creation of companies such as Fortis Hamate, the first contracts with Barueri companies would have begun. In 2024, the election year, the funds would have been directed to support local candidates,” police said.
Investigators also said in the document that Cowan Belt’s selection this year kept him in contract with the same agency, including the continuation of a multimillion-dollar expropriation with a core company.
In its opinion to the court, the Public Ministry also notes that the complaint points to a scheme involving companies from the so-called “Barueli Core” to buy and resell City Hall properties at inflated prices.
The document mentions the name of Leandro Morette Arantes, the current Secretary of State for Security, Defense and Mobility of Cajamar, who is also a family member of Gil Arantes, the former Barueri mayor who was dismissed by the courts in 2015 after being accused by the Ministry of Public Affairs 13 times for criminal liability and money laundering in connection with the expropriation of Barueri.
“Reportedly, the insertion (Written by Leandro Moretes Arantes) In local politics, it would have happened during the administration of Danilo João, who achieved the position of leading figure under the administration of the Cauan Belt. “The simultaneous presence of Leandro in the administration and the Barueri companies in public contracts reinforces the need for a thorough investigation,” the civil police report said.
fart big cityAlthough Arantes claimed to be distantly related to Gil Arantes, he held a second-class position under his management at Barueri. He also stated that the incident had nothing to do with the contract and that he had already provided an explanation in a written statement to the police. He also said that the complaint “has no place” and was made by Danilo João’s political opponents.
João said in his report that the property acquisition was carried out following a “rigorous legal process involving technical evaluation by judicial experts, legal opinions, public allocation, etc., mainly for the development of schools and infrastructure,” and that there was no evidence for the allegations.
What Danilo João says
In a conversation with big city, Danilo João denies the charges pending investigation and said that some of the charges have already been filed by the court. He maintains that the accusations are politically motivated and come from his opponents, as he is a primary candidate for next year’s state legislature.
The former mayor also said the person responsible for the accusation has a partner who is already serving eight months in prison for extortion.
“The complaint was filed by an opposition political group made up of former employees of the administration of former mayor Paula Rivas. In fact, members of this group have already been arrested for trying to blackmail former mayor Danilo João. Tonino Rivas, an unsuccessful candidate for the 2024 municipal elections, is using the investigation he initiated for campaign purposes, including during political meetings,” the memo sent by the former mayor said.
Ms. Joan also sent the decision of the Court of State Auditors (TCE) approving the management accounts for the years 2019 to 2022. Joanne also claimed that she has not been the subject of any lawsuit since leaving City Hall at the end of 2024.
View of Kajamal City Hall
“Some of the facts mentioned had already been the subject of analysis in previous proceedings and were kept by the Ministry of Public Affairs, as there were no elements indicating fraud,” the municipality of Cajamar also said in a memo.
“It should be noted that the steps mentioned are currently at the investigative stage and no formal charges have been filed against public servants or former managers. All the information presented originates from complaints received and does not represent conclusions or attribution of authorship on the part of the civil police or public prosecutor’s office,” he said.
Mayor Cowan Belt’s management team also stated that “all hires, appointments and investments made by the City Authority are in strict accordance with current legislation and remain fully available to the governing body.”
“Finally, the city reiterates its commitment to transparency, legality and institutional cooperation, leaving all necessary clarifications to the discretion of the competent authorities.”
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