Mayor of SC, children and secretary become defendants in money return scheme by companies

The Court accepted the complaints from the Public Ministry of Santa Catarina (MPSC) and made the mayor of Ponte Alta do Norte, Ari Alves Wolinger (PL), known as Ari Bagúio, his two sons and the municipality’s Secretary of Planning and Finance defendants in the operation Urban Cleaning.

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The investigation uncovered a scheme that linked urban cleaning companies to an accounting office, resulting in illicit enrichment. Now, the four investigated are facing criminal action for criminal association and concussion, that is, using a public position to demand undue advantages.

Ari Bagúio and the secretary, Antônio Carlos Brocardo, had already been arrested since January of this year, and had their arrests maintained. Ari’s sons, Brayan Jackson Wolinger and Hyago Heron Wolinger, comply with precautionary measures, such as the use of an electronic ankle bracelet.

Cleaning employees were forced to return money to mayor arrested in SC

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Operation Urban Cleaning

Launched in January, Operation Urban Cleaning was based on investigations carried out by the Deputy Attorney General’s Office for Legal Affairs, the Special Action Group to Combat Criminal Organizations and the Special Anti-Corruption Group.

The mayor and secretary would have created the Cidade Bonita program, according to the complaints, to contract conservation and urban cleaning services. To be hired, interested parties would have to open a company, requiring accounting assistance.

In this context, they were directed by public agents to the office of the mayor’s children. According to the complaints, interested parties could only provide services if they returned monthly amounts.

The investigation revealed that, when the Cidade Bonita program was launched, in May 2021, the monthly charge per company was R$175. When Operação Limpeza Urbana was launched, in early 2024, the amount was R$200. Service providers report that they suffered threats if they did not make payments. The estimate is that this scheme generated around R$100,000, which would have been divided between the four defendants.

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The defendants’ lawyer, Justiniano Pedroso, states that the defense will “let the process continue where, with certainty, their innocence will be clearly demonstrated”.