Federal Police investigate bribery and procurement in Rio Grande do Norte

New details from Federal Police investigations in Rio Grande do Norte have surfaced involving allegations of bribery and irregular procurement processes.

In a recorded conversation from May 2025, partners at Dismed Distribuidora de Medicamentos, Oseas Monthalggan Fernandes Costa and José Moabe Zacarias Soares, were recorded discussing the allocation of bribe money. The dialogue suggests a plan to set aside funds, specifically mentioning amounts like 200,000 reais, to be used for the political campaign of Allyson Bezerra. Defense lawyers for Bezerra have maintained that the investigation relies on conversations involving other individuals.

Separately, documents from Operation Rebotalho reveal intercepted communications regarding the purchase of respirators. In a July 2021 call, former Health Secretary George Antunes stated that he only permitted the acquisition of equipment after persistent pressure from an assistant. Antunes linked this assistant to the trust of then-mayor Álvaro Dias and his son, Adjuto Dias, during the investigation into procurement irregularities.