TCE-PE investigates Santa Cruz do Capibaribe hiring practices

The Court of Accounts of the State of Pernambuco (TCE-PE) has ordered an investigation in the municipality of Santa Cruz do Capibaribe. The probe aims to determine if the hiring of personnel through the Brazilian Agency for Economic and Social Development of Municipalities (ABDESM) is bypassing candidates approved in the 2024 public civil service exam.

Investigators will examine whether outsourced workers are performing roles reserved for permanent positions, such as daycare assistants, cooks, and sign language interpreters. The audit will also look into the direct subordination of these workers to the municipal administration and the proportionality of the workforce growth. Data indicates that ABDESM has become the second-largest creditor for the municipality, receiving R$ 14.2 million.

Although the investigation was approved, rapporteur Marcos Loreto denied a request for an injunction to halt new hires or freeze existing contracts. The decision was made to prevent the disruption of essential services, such as municipal education and psychosocial care, which could be compromised by an immediate stoppage of contracts.