The Federal Police launched today (20) in the cities of São Luís, Dom Pedro, Codó, Santo Antônio dos Lopes and Barreirinhas, in Maranhão, an operation to dismantle a criminal association that promotes fraud, embezzlement of public resources and money laundering, involving federal funds from the São Francisco and Parnaíba Valley Development Company (Codevasf).
Named Odoacro, the investigation found the existence of a money laundering scheme based on the diversion of money from fraudulent bids. One arrest warrant and 16 search and seizure warrants are being served.
The scheme worked with the creation of shell companies linked to members of the criminal association that pretended to compete among themselves in Codevasf bids. At the end of the procedure, the main company of the group won the bid and closed the contracts with Codevasf.
federal funds
“The investigations pointed to the use of the same modus operandi [modo de operação]including with the same interposed persons and shell companies, of conducts carried out in 2015, when the Civil Police managed to identify a criminal association established to divert public resources from the municipality of Dom Pedro/MA”, informed the Federal Police.
He added that the criminal scheme grew in the following years, starting to divert federal funds.
“The leader of this criminal group, in addition to placing his companies and assets in the name of third parties, also has bank accounts linked to CPFs. [Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas] false, using this instrument to perpetrate fraud and make it difficult for the control bodies to act”, said the PF.
She did not provide the name of the group’s leader. In all, 80 federal police officers participate in the operation. If the suspicions are confirmed, those investigated may be held liable for bidding fraud, money laundering and criminal association. Combined, the penalties can reach 16 years in prison.
As the criminal association is led by an investigator nicknamed Emperorthe operation was called Odoacer, in reference to the surname of the Italian soldier who led a revolt that ended the Roman Empire.
