Maranhão Court of Accounts orders former mayors to repay misused funds
The Maranhão Court of Accounts (TCE-MA) sentenced former Santana do Maranhão mayor Márcio José Melo Santiago to repay R$300,000 and pay a R$30,000 fine after he failed to provide accounting for health‑sector funds transferred under Convênio 2481/2024‑SES.
In a separate ruling, former Peri‑Mirim mayor José Geraldo Amorim Pereira was ordered to return R$105,000 and pay a R$21,000 penalty for irregularities in a 2017 infrastructure agreement (Convênio 043/2017‑SINFRA).
Additionally, the Tribunal de Justiça do Maranhão extended the 180‑day precautionary removal of Turilândia mayor Paulo Curió, the vice‑mayor and two municipal secretaries, pending investigations into alleged organized‑crime activity, procurement fraud, corruption, embezzlement and money‑laundering within the municipal administration.