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RIO – The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) pointed out another alleged scheme to divert public money from Rio Health, during the period of retired governor Wilson Witzel and former secretary Edmar Santos, in which a kind of “split” of transfers from the State Health Fund to seven municipalities. Of the total transferred to these municipalities, the group would recover 10% of the value. The diversion method was presented by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) in the second complaint in which it points to Witzel as the leader of the criminal organization.
The plan carried out by former secretary and now whistleblower Edmar Santos was detailed by businessman Edson Torres, designated as the group’s financial operator. The businessman voluntarily went to the MPF, after the outbreak of Operation Tris in Idem, which culminated in the dismissal of Witzel.
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According to Torres, the State Department of Health had planned to transfer R $ 600 million to municipal health funds, so that the amount would be included in the calculation of the minimum constitutional value to apply in the area. In theory, the division of resources would be made by the size of the city, but this was not respected in all cases. According to the complaint, the intention would be to overload the works in some cities so that the profit would revert to the nucleus commanded by Pastor Everaldo.
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Torres recounts that he and other members of the group participated in meetings about the allocation of funds to Petrópolis, São João de Meriti, Paracambi and Itaboraí. He also stated, in his testimony, that the prefectures of Magé, Saquarema and São Gonçalo also paid and returned securities to the group. Without naming names, he says that part of the amount was collected from the mayors or someone indicated by them. The choice of cities, according to Torres, came from four groups: his group, the Guanabara Palace, the deputies of the Rio Legislative Assembly, and Edmar Santos.
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“There were also undue advantage payment adjustments, and the administrator of the municipality awarded the money must return part of the amount to the group that directed it. In Petrópolis, São João de Meriti, Paracambi and Itaboraí there was an adjustment of the return values of 10% for the group. The amount was collected from the mayors, or those who indicated, by Pedro Osório, who gave the money to Edson Torres or Pastor Everaldo. In addition to these municipalities, values were also collected in the cities of Magé, Saquarema and São Gonçalo. In these three municipalities, the collection was carried out by a person called Leandro Pinto Coccaro, a businessman in the field of medicines, ”says Edson Torres.
In his award-winning statement, Edmar Santos confirms the scheme. It details that, in addition to the resources of the State Health Fund, another source of payment was created, since the first could only be made after the purchase or completion of the work by the municipality. Santos says that he and his team came up with the idea of creating Finansus, with a budget of R $ 2 billion, in which transfers could be made to cover future expenses.
Wilson Witzel is cited by Edmar Santos for having indicated another municipality to receive transfers from the State Health Fund, the one chosen by the then governor would be Duque de Caxias, due to the proximity of Mayor Washington Reis with businessman Mário Peixoto. Santos narrates a meeting, in which, at the request of Witzel, all those present must leave their cell phones and watches. mischief outside the room, where the governor requested the transfer of R $ 50 million to the mayor’s office. A month before that meeting, Edmar says he received a transfer request to Caxias for the same amount from businessman Edson Torres.
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“The employee had no doubts about the aforementioned illicit adjustment, since the information on the amounts to be transferred to the Municipality of Duque de Caxias was initially delivered by the businessman Edson Torres and, in a second moment, confirmed exactly by Governor Wilson. Witzel, in a meeting at the Laranjeiras Palace in December 2019 ”, reads an extract from the MPF complaint. The amount diverted in this case would already have a function: to acquire a radio for political conquests in the elections.
How the scheme works
State health fund
Seven cities would have been chosen to receive larger transfers than they would be entitled to. In these municipalities, the initial plan of the criminal organization would be to overload the works so that the profit would go to the group led by Pastor Everaldo, president of the PSC.
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The chosen cities
Edson Torres, financial operator of the scheme, pointed out seven cities that had returned 10% of the amount received by the Fund: Petrópolis, São João de Meriti, Paracambi, Itaboraí, Magé, Saquarema and São Gonçalo. The businessman, without naming names, says that part of the amount was collected from the mayors or someone indicated by them.
The selection of municipalities
The choice of the cities, according to Edson Torres, came from the group of the businessman himself, the Guanabara Palace, the deputies linked to the scheme in the Rio Legislative Assembly and the former Secretary of State for Health Edmar Santos. The businessman says that he and other members of the group participated in meetings on the allocation of funds to Petrópolis, São João de Meriti, Paracambi and Itaboraí.
Revised contracts
Requested, the State Department of Health stated that all contracts, agreements and transfers previously made are being reviewed by the portfolio, together with the State Attorney General (PGE) and the State Comptroller General (PGE). He also reported that appropriate measures are being taken to reimburse the amounts already paid by the state.
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Witzel denies having asked for or received an improper advantage. Pastor Everaldo’s defense claims that he was never part of any criminal group and that his companies did not serve the state government. The city of Caxias affirms that Washington Reis is not accused in the criminal action and that his relationship with businessmen and politicians is governed by “intense republicanism.” The city of Petrópolis says it has not committed any type of irregularity.
The municipality of Magé says it does not know the complaint and does not agree with illegal schemes. The Paracambi Health Department affirms that it does not know the complaint and that the funds received through the State Health Fund are duly described in the Transparency Portals. The Municipality of São Gonçalo denies any participation in the complaint. The others named did not respond to contacts or were not found by GLOBO.
