Salgueiro court freezes assets of former mayor and councilwoman

A court in Salgueiro, Pernambuco, has ordered the freezing of assets belonging to former mayor Marcones Libório, councilwoman Eliane Alves, and several others. The decision follows an administrative improbity lawsuit filed by the Public Ministry of Pernambuco (MPPE) regarding bidding fraud in the municipal government.

The MPPE alleges that a 2021 bidding process for communication advisory services was rigged to benefit Gerson Douglas and his company, who is the nephew of councilwoman Eliane Alves. Investigators claim the company was established less than three months before the tender and used a false technical capacity certificate. Additionally, the prosecution noted that the bidding process lacked competition and involved irregular retroactive payments.