President of COFFITO is removed due to signs of irregularities and manipulation of elections

The president of the Federal Council of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy (COFFITO), Roberto Cepeda, was removed from office by popular action this week due to signs of irregularities and manipulation of elections.

The act directly implicates Cepeda and the house’s Special Advisor, Hebert Chimicatti, due to evidence of acts harmful to public property. The two were removed from all access to the premises and the internal system of the Federal Council. They will also not be able to speak on behalf of COFFITO, nor represent the entity.

Cepeda is being investigated by the Federal Police, the Federal Audit Court (TCU), and the General Comptroller of the Union (CGU) for election manipulation schemes and irregularities in bidding processes. One of the cases involves the purchase of a new headquarters in Brasília, which cost more than R$22 million and which was not used by the Council.

According to the data from the removal process, those involved would be linked to expenses with the Curitiba/PR subheadquarters in the amount of R$ 350 thousand this year alone. In addition to these, a third property in São Paulo (which would be a sub-headquarters of the Council in the capital), remains abandoned for more than 10 years, and which is believed to be linked to illicit acts involving the hiring of private security for the location worth more than R$ 330 thousand annually.

The Curitiba and São Paulo sub-headquarters remain sealed, with the headquarters only expected to operate in the Federal District, all of this until a final decision is made by the courts.