Public Ministry of Maranhão investigates exchange of snack for ‘farinata’ in São Luís – 02/19/2023 – Panel

The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Maranhão decided to establish a factual report to investigate complaints that the school lunch of the municipal network of São Luís for children aged 3 to 5 years had been replaced by a mixture of farofa d’água crumbs with chicken.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office also informed that it would notify the municipality to provide clarification on the episode, which would have its origin in an alleged irregularity in the transfer of the budget received by the city hall.

The decision, by the prosecutor Lindonjonson Gonçalves de Sousa, was taken based on a letter from federal deputy Duarte Jr. (PSB-MA), who cited news published in local vehicles and on social networks about irregularities in children’s school feeding.

In the document sent to the prosecutor, the parliamentarian mentions that, in 2022, of the R$ 15 million budgeted for child feeding in the municipality, R$ 13 million were committed and R$ 6.6 million were paid.

“In this way, taking into account the seriousness of the facts narrated, we request the adoption of necessary and appropriate measures, that is, the regularization of the supply of school meals in the municipal education network, considering that school meals are a right of enrolled students , configuring, therefore, a duty of the Municipality to ensure the quality of the system – as a whole -, in line with the guidelines present in the current legislation”, writes Duarte Jr. in the craft.

When contacted, Semed (Municipal Education Department) informed that the “chicken farofa” served in schools on February 8 is not part of the approved menu, which is why the company contracted to provide the meal was notified to suspend any such food in the Saint Louis network. He also informed that an administrative procedure was initiated for the application of the applicable sanctions, according to contractual rules, in view of the “regrettable episode”.

Finally, he clarified that R$ 12.5 million were pledged with resources from the PNAE (National School Feeding Program) and liquidated, that is, effectively paid, R$ 9.1 million.

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