Charles Capella de Abreu, Antonio Palocci’s former adviser, signed the lawsuit that suspended the purchase of Centauro II armored cars by the Brazilian Army. The 900 million euro (about R$ 5 billion) contract was to be signed today with Iveco Defense Vehicles (IDV), which won the bid.
With a long record of services to PT administrations, Capella became the head of the special advisory to Antonio Palocci’s Civilian Household at the beginning of the first Dilma administration. He left the post after the former minister’s fall. He also worked in the PT’s first presidential campaign.
In the lawsuit, Capella claims that the purchase would take place “in the midst of billionaire cuts in the public budget totaling R$ 5.7 billion, of which half comes from cuts in Education (R$ 1.435 billion) and Health (R$ 1.396 billion).
“The aforementioned purchase, at the end of the current government’s term and in view of the calamitous state in which other areas of greater urgency are found, represents a real violation of public morality,” he says. One of the lawyers signing the petition is Alberto dos Santos Moreira, Capella’s partner at RIG Capital Relações Institucionais e Governamentais.
When granting the request, the judge on duty Wilson Alves de Souza also accepted the argument that there was no emergency in the acquisition of the armored cars, considering the “derisory measure” because it represents the renewal of less than 5% of the fleet in times of peace.
“In this context, it is clear that the attacked act does not meet the assumptions of convenience and opportunity, because it is evident the lack of reasonableness, misuse of purpose, illegality and even elementary common sense, because there is no other classification when at the same time that you make cuts in education and health funds for lack of money, you want to buy weapons in times of peace,” said the judge.
The public notice of public consultation for the purchase of the armored vehicles was published in March 2021, and the result came out on November 25, after a long process of analysis.
Iveco defeated the American company General Dynamics Land Systems and the Chinese company Norinco. The 98 armored vehicles would be produced at the company’s plant in Sete Lagoas, in the central region of Minas Gerais.
*** Translated by The DEFCONPress FYI Team ***