Rui Costa is cited in a complaint about fraud in the purchase of respirators in Bahia, says website – PontoPoder

The name of the Chief Minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa (PT), was cited in a statement linked to the Federal Police investigation into irregularities in a R$48 million contract for purchase of respirators during the pandemic, in Bahia. He denies the accusationreferring to the period in which he was governor of the State.

The information was revealed this Wednesday (3) by a report from Uol, who had access to the content of the process. According to the portal, the name of the former Bahian government manager was mentioned in prized deletion from businesswoman Cristiana Prestes Taddeo, from Hempcare, responsible for the transaction. She returned around R$10 million to public coffers and presented bank statements of transfers to sales intermediaries.

The negotiated respirators were never delivered and the amounts paid in advance were not fully recovered.

To investigators, the woman reported that the contract was written in a unfavorable to the State, providing for payment in advance; the company did not have the necessary documentation for the operation; and who received inside information to present the price proposal to the Bahian government.

Taddeo said that the hiring was brokered by a Bahian businessman who Said to be friends with Rui Costa and the then first lady, Aline Peixoto. This man would have charged commissions for the business, which totaled R$11 million. The PF and the Federal Public Ministry are investigating whether this amount would be a bribe intended for public agents.

In addition to the businesswoman, Rui was also mentioned by the former secretary of the Bahian government, Bruno Dauster, in a statement to the PF. According to him, the deal was closed by PT’s order.

Rui Costa denies involvement in the case

The minister denies the accusations. At the time, it was he himself, as governor, who ordered the investigation into the business — a fact he highlighted to deny his involvement in the case.

He states that he never dealt with “any agent or intermediary regarding the purchase of this or any other health equipment.” Regarding the advance payment, the head of the Civil House justified that it was the “current” market condition for the purchase of respirators at the beginning of the pandemic.

The investigation is in its final phase at the Federal Police, according to the Uol, and is running in the Bahian Federal Court, as it involves a fact from Costa’s previous mandate — before becoming minister. The politician commanded the State between 2015 and 2022.

The contract in question was signed in April 2020, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and provided for the purchase of 300 respirators imported from China. The equipment would supply the member states of the Northeast Consortiumchaired by the PT member during the period.