The Federal Police (PF) launched on Tuesday (19) the operation Law of Return to dismantle a criminal organization suspected of diverting more than $ 50 million from the Fund for Maintenance and Development of Basic Education (FUNDEB).
45 search and seizure warrants were fulfilled against individuals, companies and civil servants, in the cities of Maranhão de Caxias, São Luís, Sao Jose do Ribamar, Buriti Bravo, President Dutra and Joselândia, and in Teresina.
The Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, reported that the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU) is responsible for denunciations related to the misuse of federal resources, including the transfers of the Ministry of Education to municipalities and states, and contributes to the investigations and analysis of each case, in partnership with the Public Prosecution Service and the court.
“It is important to have transparency of the use of public resources and all measures to be taken to prevent the diversion of any penny that should go to the education of children and youth in the country,” said Minister Camilo Santana.
Fraud
Police investigation investigates fraud in municipal bids that occurred between 2021 and 2025. It was also identified that part of the amounts hired with Fundeb resources returned to public servants involved in the fraud.
The target of the operation is the core that would have manipulated public bids in these municipalities of the Northeast and would also have acted in the diversion of public funds passed on by the federal government, through Fundeb, in addition to the appropriation of part of the values diverted by public servants involved in the criminal scheme.
“Investigated people will be able to respond for the crimes of criminal organization, corruption, embezzlement, bid fraud and money laundering,” says PF note.
