Marcelo Lopes da Silva arrested over Rio Metrópole corruption

Marcelo Lopes da Silva, the former general prosecutor of the Instituto Rio Metrópole (IRM), has been placed under preventive detention following the discovery of new evidence in the Ouroboros Operation. The arrest was ordered by the 1st Specialized Court for Criminal Organizations in Rio de Janeiro after forensic analysis of a seized mobile phone revealed further indications of corruption and money laundering.

According to the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office (MPRJ), Silva allegedly instructed his then-partner, Thays Pinho Carneiro da Silva, to establish a micro-entrepreneurship (MEI) to facilitate payments from Engeconsult, a company holding multimillion-real contracts with the IRM. The investigation suggests the MEI was used to disguise illicit payments to Silva, totaling R$ 30,000 divided into six installments.

Evidence from the mobile device indicates that Silva requested negotiations not be recorded in writing and that a contract with Engeconsult was signed on the same day the company was formed, despite bearing a backdated signature. Furthermore, investigators found messages suggesting Silva interfered with official documents in the Electronic Information System (SEI) and manipulated legal opinions to benefit specific interest groups.