Bauru municipal waste management bidding investigation

The Bauru City Council initiated a Commission of Inquiry to investigate potential political-administrative infractions by Mayor Suéllen Rosim. The investigation centers on administrative procedures and bidding processes within the Municipal Secretariat of the Environment, specifically regarding a R$ 5.2 billion Public-Private Partnership for solid waste management.

This inquiry follows the ‘Cavalo de Troia’ and ‘Mobius’ operations conducted by the São Paulo Public Ministry’s Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco), which investigated fraud in the 30-year waste management concession. The State Court of Auditors had previously suspended the bidding process due to concerns over the tender requirements.

Prosecutors in the ‘Operação Cavalo de Troia’ investigation have uncovered WhatsApp dialogues suggesting a conspiracy to commit the R$ 5.2 billion environmental bidding fraud. These messages involve former municipal officials and a private sector executive discussing methods to secure the long-term contract for solid waste collection and sanitation.

A judge has ordered the preventive detention of six individuals, including the former Secretary of the Environment, Cilene Chabuh Bordezan, and Hamilton Libório Agle, CEO of Estre Ambiental. The court cited risks to witness integrity and the potential destruction of digital and physical evidence. In response to the investigation, Mayor Rosim exonerated Bordezan and other advisors linked to the case, though the mayor is not a target of the operation. The municipal administration has stated it is cooperating fully with the Public Ministry's investigation.