Minister investigated for sending employees to pre-carnival holds weekly meetings in Sergipe

The minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, Márcio Macêdo, who is being investigated by the Federal Court of Auditors (TCU) for authorizing the trip of three served for the pre-carnival, in Aracaju, using public funds, maintained the average of one agenda per week linked to Sergipe throughout 2023. He is a pre-candidate for mayor of the capital of Sergipe.

In 2023, in total, 59 days were recorded in which Macêdo participated in meetings or other commitments related to the state, according to information made available in the electronic calendar system of Executive authorities and verified by the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.

Among the numerous commitments he maintained with authorities linked to the Executive and Legislative branches of Sergipe, there were six meetings with the re-elected mayor of Aracaju, Edvaldo Nogueira (PDT). Macêdo also met six other times with governor Fábio Mitidieri (PSD).

In addition to the broad political agenda, the minister also gave interviews to television and radio stations, among other events in which he participated in the state. In May, he was present at the delivery of tractors and agricultural implements to the state headquarters of Codevasf, and also visited hospitals and the facilities of the Federal University of Sergipe.

In October, he went to the event held by the Ministry of Transport, led by Renan Filho (MDB-AL), in which the tender was launched for the construction of a bridge that will connect the cities of Neópolis (SE) and Penedo (AL).

In November and December, respectively, there is a record of his participation in events for the delivery of agricultural machinery in the municipality of Salgado (SE) and again at the Codevasf headquarters in the state.

On January 10, following a request for the dismissal of Maria Fernanda Ramos Coelho, the “number 2” of the General Secretariat and a strong name in the PT, allegations were made public that the minister had authorized the financing of the trip of three civil servants from the department to participate in the off-season carnival in Aracaju.

On January 11, the Public Ministry requested that the Federal Audit Court (TCU) investigate Macêdo for alleged misuse of public funds. The minister, who also participated in the pre-carnival, claims to have paid for his trip with his own resources and that the public financing of the advisors’ trip was due to a “formal error”.

Following the allegations, the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic opened an internal investigation to investigate the trip to the capital of Sergipe. In a note, the ministry informed that it would begin the process of reimbursement to the treasury so that the three employees could return the amounts related to the trip to the Treasury.