This Thursday morning (7/3), the Federal Police (PF) and the General Comptroller of the Union (CGU) launched Operation Esculápio, to investigate possible misappropriation of federal public resources destined for the health of the municipality of São Gonçalo (RJ ), through a social health organization (OSS) contracted by the city hall since 2016. The loss to public coffers could reach R$10 million.
In the action, around 70 federal police officers and 15 CGU auditors carry out 15 search and seizure warrants, issued by the 2nd Federal Court of Niterói (RJ), in the Rio de Janeiro municipalities of Niterói, São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro and Cabo Frio, in addition to Sorocaba (SP) and Santos (SP), against individuals and legal entities.
The investigation showed that the OSS subcontracted companies linked to the health secretaries to provide doctors without the appropriate price quote, with evidence of supplying ghost doctors. The services provided by these companies did not receive effective supervision from the OSS or public bodies, which indicates personal nature in the hiring of companies and overbilling in the provision of services.
It was also found that laboratory examination and clinical analysis services were contracted without competitive bidding, with signs of overpricing, among other possible irregularities and fraud. The CGU indicated monthly overbilling in the order of R$300,000, and the investigation estimated a total loss of more than R$10 million in public resources destined for health.
Currently, the aforementioned OSS is responsible for managing three municipal health units, and the companies subcontracted by it and related to public managers received around R$70 million between 2020 and the end of 2023.
Those investigated will be responsible for the crimes of criminal organization, embezzlement and money laundering, without prejudice to any other crimes that may arise during the investigation.
Operation Aesculapius
Aesculapius, in Greek and Roman mythology, is the god of medicine and healing.