Government dismisses MEC director after PF operation on deviations in robotics kits
The dismissal of Alexsander Moreira from the post of Director of Support for Educational Management Was published this Monday in the 'Official Gazette of the Union'. The Federal Police is investigating possible irregularities in the acquisition of robotics equipment destined for the municipalities of Alagoas.
Photo Reproduction / Secretary of Education of Sergipe
This Monday (5), the federal government dismissed Alexsander Moreira, who held the position of director of Educational Management Support at the Basic Education Secretariat of the Ministry of Education. The exoneration was made official in the "Official Diary of the Union". Moreira's resignation occurred after a Federal Police operation which investigated a group suspected of fraud in bids and money laundering in Alagoas, related to the purchase of robotics equipment.
Scheme
A Federal Police Operation Hephaestus is investigating a suspected embezzlementR$ 8,1 million in the acquisition of robotics kits destined to 46 municipalities of Alagoas. This acquisition was carried out with funds from the National Education Development Fund (FNDE). The bidding for purchase of robotics kits would have been directed exclusively to the companyMegalic. A PF, suspect that part of the public money destined to purchase the kits was diverted by the company, being diverted to other accounts before arriving, in cash, in the hands of public agents.
The scheme was already under investigation by the court Union accounts (TCU) since 2022, when the Court determined the suspension of requests and transfers of funds for the acquisition of kits. These overpriced kits were purchased with funds from budget rapporteur amendments, which were known as the "secret budget" and were considered unconstitutional by the Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) at the end of last year.
Investigations
After the disclosure, in 2022, by the newspaper "Folha de S.Paulo", that the companyMegalic, headquartered in Maceio (AL), was selling each kit forR$ 14 thousand, an investigation was initiated to determine the case. Megalic, which is known for winning most of the bids in this area, is owned by the couple. Edmundo Catunda and Roberta Melo. It is worth mentioning that theMegalic is not responsible for the production of robotics kits, as they were acquired from another company located in the interior of São Paulo, at a price ofR$ 2,7 thousand per set of electronic components.
The Federal Police was intrigued by the transfers of money made by Megalic to an individual In last week's operation, Pedro and Juliana Salomão were detained, however, they will be prosecuted at liberty. The couple's defense denies any involvement in irregularities and companies in Brasilia, involving large amounts of money. Pedro Salomão and his wife, Juliana Salomão, are the owners of these companies.
In records captured by the PF, they were caught withdrawing cash several times at bank branches and at a lottery linked to the institution. These withdrawals were carried out in a piecemeal manner, probably with the intention of avoiding arousing suspicion on the part of the authorities. A man, identified by the Federal Police as the driver of a PP leadership advisor in the Chamber, received the funds.
Operation
In the operation carried out last week, Pedro and Juliana Salomão were arrested, however they responded in freedom. The couple's defense refutes any involvement in irregular activities. In addition, the investigations are also directed to a civil police officer and businessman from Alagoas, suspected of receiving money from embezzlement from the companyMegalic. During a search at one of Murilo Nogueira's offices in Maceió, the Federal Police found a safe containingR$ 3,5 millions in cash. The defense alleges that Nogueira's companies are unrelated to the robotics kits.
In a public statement, Megalic's lawyer states that the acquisition of the kits was carried out through a legal and highly competitive bidding process. In addition, he points out that he has not yet had access to ongoing research.
Lyra's Ally
One of the targets of the Federal Police investigation is Luciano Ferreira Cavalcante, an employee of the Chamber of Deputies who was appointed to lead the PP in the House during the tenure of Arthur Lira (PP-AL), the current president of the Chamber. Before taking up this position in the Chamber, Ferreira worked as a commissioned servant in the support office of the then Senator Benedito de Lira (PP-AL), father of Arthur Lira. Cavalcante's defense told TV Globo that he has no involvement in the case of embezzlement under investigation by the Federal Police.
