The Federal Court in Pernambuco (JFPE) handed down the first sentence regarding a report of fraud in the purchase of 250 hospital beds for people hospitalized with Covid-19 in Recife, in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. The court decision acquitted Jailson Correia, the city’s former Health Secretary, and sentenced four businessmen and former public servants.
The decision may be appealed, given in the first instance by federal judge Carolina Souza Malta, from the 36th Federal Court in Pernambuco. Jailson Correia was acquitted because, according to the Court, there was not enough evidence to prove the former Secretary of Health’s participation in the criminal scheme.
However, the following people were convicted:
- Felipe Soares Bittencourt: former executive director of Administration and Finance at the Recife Health Department
He was sentenced for the crimes of ideological falsehood and embezzlement in a material contest to four years in prison and a 50-day fine, each day being a fine worth two minimum wages.
- Mariah Simões da Mota Loureiro Amorim Bravo: former Network Conservation Manager at the Recife Health Department
She was convicted twice for misrepresentation and embezzlement, with a total sentence of three years and two months in prison, in addition to the payment of a 30-day fine, with each fine day equivalent to one minimum wage in force at the time of the events.
- Jones Marco de Arruda Moura: businessperson
He was sentenced for embezzlement to four years in prison and 100 fine days, with each fine day corresponding to two minimum wages.
- Renata Deud Salomão Rameh Sarmento: businesswoman
She was convicted of the crime of embezzlement, with a sentence of three years in prison, in addition to a fine.
The two businessmen are administrators of Delta Med Distribuidora de Medicamentos. This company, according to the MPF’s complaint, was hired “through a fraudulent bidding process, using false public and private documents for the acquisition of 250 hospital beds.”
The beds, however, were delivered in models with inferior characteristics, quality and functions in relation to what had been foreseen in the contract, the investigators pointed out, and the mattresses acquired in the same process were not delivered.
According to the MPF, the investigation also pointed out that the descriptive report that supported the choice of Delta Med was made by Felipe Soares Bittencourt and Mariah Simões only 30 days after hiring the company. At that time, a significant portion of the contract had already been executed.
Furthermore, according to the Federal Public Ministry, although the beds delivered did not correspond to the required technical specifications, the former executive director of Administration and Finance and the former secretary of Health authorized full payment to the company.
The MPF also pointed out that the businessmen used false documents and provided beds with inferior characteristics than expected, and that Delta Med did not present certificates of social security and labor regularity or documents proving its technical capacity.
In a note, the firm Rigueira, Amorim, Caribé e Leitão, which defends Jailson Correia, Felipe Soares Bittencourt and Mariah Simões, said that:
- It is important to highlight “the absence of any irregularity in the conduct of the former Secretary of Health of Recife, Jailson Correia, who was acquitted of all charges” and in the “effective delivery of all the beds that were the subject of the investigated tender”;
- Regarding the conviction of other municipal employees, “he will appeal the sentence, confident that the Federal Regional Court of the 5th Region will also demonstrate the absolute suitability of the facts being investigated.”
g1 also contacted the defense of businessmen Renata Deud Salomão Rameh Sarmento and Jones Marco de Arruda Moura, but did not receive a response until the last update of this report.
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Tags: Court acquits Recifes Health Secretary convicts people fraud purchase hospital beds pandemic Pernambuco
