Bahia Court Orders Refunds and Fines for Mismanaged Municipal Funds

The Tribunal de Contas dos Municípios da Bahia (TCM‑BA) imposed a series of penalties on municipal officials for irregularities in public spending. In Paulo Afonso, ex‑mayor Marcondes Francisco dos Santos was fined R$ 2,000 after an audit uncovered defects in drug procurement, inventory control and storage, prompting directives to install an automated stock‑management system.

In Remanso, former mayor José Clementino de Carvalho Filho and ex‑treasurer Charles Clay Moreira da Silva were ordered to return R$ 23 million and each fined R$ 5,000 for unaccounted transfers, missing funds from the Fundef account and contract awards without proper documentation. The case was referred to the Ministério Público for possible criminal investigation.

A separate complaint filed with the MP‑BA and TCM‑BA alleged nepotism in contracts between the Santo Estêvão municipality and the local APAE, identifying R$ 629,996.99 in funding granted through non‑competitive terms, most of which were diverted to payroll for APAE officials linked by family to municipal staff. The investigation seeks to suspend further payments and assess violations of federal procurement law.

The Tribunal de Contas do Estado da Bahia (TCE‑BA) also condemned former Itaetê mayor Valdes Brito de Souza, ordering repayment of R$ 28,847.70 and a R$ 7,000 fine after a 2017‑2018 agreement for rural water‑way cleaning was not executed and no supporting documentation was provided. Recommendations were issued to improve financial controls and ensure timely audit actions across affected municipalities.