Mayor of Itacoatiara is accused of overpricing R$900,000 in basic food baskets

In March, TCE-AM fined Mário Abrahim more than R$ 13 thousand for the lack of transparency

Itacoatiara (AM) — The mayor of Itacoatiara, Mário Abrahim (Podemos), is the target of complaints by councilor Arnoud Lucas (PV), for overpricing of around R$900,000 when purchasing 10,000 basic food baskets.

The councilor denounced the city council for approving a price registration act for the purchase of baskets at a price above what was stated on the market. According to the Official Gazette, the company benefiting from the tender is Distribuidora Menezes LTDA, with CNPJ 84.112.846/0004-56, which will supply the basic food baskets.

According to Arnoud Lucas, the city hall intends to pay R$288.05 for each basket. But, after a personal investigation by the councilor, he revealed that the same items could be purchased at retail for just R$197.55, generating a difference of more than R$900,000 accumulated in the 10,000 ranch bags.

“I was in the same establishment buying all the same items at retail value, it wasn’t even a wholesale price which was much cheaper. Here’s a note, my friends, I only paid R$197.55 for the same items. It makes a difference of more than R$900 thousand. With this amount we could buy another 4,581,000 basic food baskets. This is absurd, it is playing with public money, I will denounce this bid”,

said the councilor.

Lack of transparency

The city hall of Itacoatiara, under the management of Mário Abrahim, is surrounded by allegations of irregularities. In March, the Amazonas Court of Auditors (TCE-AM) fined Mayor Abrahim more than R$13,000 for the lack of transparency in a R$30 million loan, which the mayor made on October 10, 2022.

The complaint about the alleged irregularity in the process was also made by councilor Arnoud Lucas. The decision was taken by the rapporteur, Josué Claudio de Souza Neto, where it was explained that the lack of transparency on the part of the public manager was established.

“I express my desire to follow the same understanding of the Technical Body and the Public Accounting Ministry, for the KNOWLEDGE and for the PARTIAL PROCEDENCE of this Representation filed by Mr. Arnoud Lucas Andrade da Silva against the Municipality of Itacoatiara and Mr. Mário Boez Abrahim (Municipal Mayor), in the face of a lack of transparency and alleged irregularities regarding the loan process provided for in the Law of the Municipality of Itacoatiara n. 511, of October 10, 2022, with applications and fines and determinations”.

In the document, the rapporteur also advises that the next bills from the City of Itacoatiara sent to the chamber should contain detailed and specific information about the origin and destination of the financial resource.

The mayor of Itacoatiara, Mário Abrahim, must pay a fine of R$ 13,654.39.

The reporting team at In time contacted the Itacoatiara city council regarding the complaints. The Itacoatiara city council stated that all the accusations are “unfounded complaints”.

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