Ilhéus Mayor files criminal complaint over false corruption links

The Mayor of Ilhéus, Valderico Junior, has filed a criminal complaint against Emenson Santos Silva, the former Communication Superintendent of the previous administration, for slander and defamation.

The legal action follows social media posts by Silva that falsely linked the Ilhéus City Hall and the current mayor to ‘Operação Severus,’ an investigation conducted by the Federal Police and the Office of the Comptroller General (CGU). While the operation involves warrants in Ilhéus, the investigation actually targets irregularities in public contracts in the municipality of Gongogi and focuses on specific companies, not the municipal government.

Silva has since issued a public retraction via video, admitting the information was untrue and attributing the error to his sources. While the City Hall has accepted the apology and considers the matter closed regarding the public statement, the criminal lawsuit seeking convictions for slander and defamation continues to move through the 2nd Criminal Court of the Ilhéus District.