Mário Luiz Silvério sought by justice for suspected public contract fraud

Mário Luiz Silvério, a consultant for the Fundação Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas (Fipe), is a fugitive after a court ordered his preventive arrest. The arrest is part of ‘Operação Cavalo de Troia’, an investigation by the Gaeco group into suspected fraud in public contracts regarding urban solid waste management in Bauru, São Paulo.

Silvério was a key figure in presenting the ‘Smart Rio Preto’ program, a R$ 2 billion project involving 30-year public-private partnerships (PPPs) for AI video monitoring, LED street lighting, and urban mobility. While the investigation focuses on Bauru, the Smart Rio Preto project involves significant infrastructure investments, including 3,000 cameras and the modernization of 74,000 light points.

Fipe has terminated its contract with Silvério and removed him from its activities. The City of São José do Rio Preto stated it has no direct contractual link with Silvério, having contracted the service provider instead. The Smart Rio Preto Consortium has also asserted that the ongoing investigation in Bauru is unrelated to the Rio Preto project.