By authorizing Operation Coffee Break, which was launched this Wednesday (12/11), the Federal Court has impounded a vehicle worth approximately 2 million reais belonging to businessman Andre Mariano Gonçalves. Among them is a Porsche 911 Carrera S worth R$945,000.
Mariano is the owner of Life Tecnologia Educacional, a company that received hundreds of millions of reais from the city hall in São Paulo’s interior. The contract was paid for at least in part with federal funds.
The investigation is looking into whether there was overcharging for these contracts and whether Andre Mariano used propaganda to influence the Ministry of Education or the government. National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE). Part of the money paid for the contract came from federal funds.
Coffee Break also executed search and seizure warrants on the homes of Carla Ariane Trindade and Khalil Vitale. Carla is the ex-wife of President Lula’s (PT) son Marcos Claudio Lula da Silva. Khalil Bitar was the partner of Lula’s other son, Luiz Claudio Lula da Silva, known as Lurinha.
In addition to the Porsche, two Hyundai HB20s were also blocked. BMW X4 xDrive 30i, 412,000 reais. The other BMW X3 xDrive 30e costs R$ 397,000. The vehicles were in the company’s name, except for the Porsche, which was in the name of Andre Mariano.
Federal police say the third BMW, a model 540i, was “donated” by Andre Mariano to Khalil Bitar as part of a payment for lobbying in Brasilia.
“In addition to the payments to Calil, there are strong indications that Mariano ‘donated’ the same BMW 540i vehicle (…) acquired in the name of Reif. After retaining possession of the vehicle from 2023, the interlocutors tried to transfer it to Calil’s company, Harmony BR Desenvolvimento de Sistemas.”Currently, this BMW is registered in a company in Bahia, but it is not mentioned in the investigation.
Lula’s ex-wife is “alleged to have had influence in the federal government.”
The court ruling that authorized the operation described both Kara and Khalil Bitar as “persons known to have influence in the federal government.” The decision was made by Judge Raquel Coelho Dal Rio Silveira of the First Federal Court of Campinas (SP).
As shown in the column, the company Life Educacional has increased its share capital more than 113 times in less than two yearsThe period is from May 2022 to mid-2024.
According to the investigation, Life Tecnologia Educacional earned R$111 million selling school supplies and textbooks to city halls in the interior of São Paulo, even though it did not have the organization or employees to meet the demand. Contracts with the city councils of Sumare, Holtlandia, Morngaba and Limeira are being investigated.
A total of 50 search and seizure warrants were executed during the operation and five people were arrested, including Ortlandia Deputy Mayor Café Cesar (PSB).
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