The public contract signed between the parties stipulated a period of validity of 5 years, with values estimated at approximately R$ 120 million.
However, now the Public Ministry of RJ has started an investigation of MCE due to its proven links with Lucas Tristão, who was State Secretary for Economic Development and to which Loterj is subordinate, under the administration of the former governor of Rio, Wilson Witzel, besides the lawyer and his friend Antônio Vanderler de Lima. All three cited are already investigated by the MPRJ for corruption schemes in the State and, at the moment, are also suspected of influence peddling, favors and obstructions for the benefit of MCE's managing partners, Marcelo Ferreira Resende and Cristiano Lorenci Junqueira. In exchange for protection and support, MCE formalized a partnership agreement (SCP) in the name of Vanderler Júnior, son of Antônio Vanderler de Lima, allocating 10% to Vanderler Participações Eireli.
In addition, MCE's own shareholders decided to file a lawsuit against its managing partners, where they point out improbabilities in the contract signed with the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (Loterj), which was even signed at the time Lucas Tristão was Economic Development Secretary. For MCE's shareholders, the company's managers did not obey the legal practices that govern the conduct, laws and contracts, and, therefore, call for justice to correct or replace management, punishing violators and protecting the common good. MCE's shareholders filed the order for an injunction at the Second Business Court of Belo Horizonte to remove the partners Marcelo and Cristiano from the company's reckless administration, which in addition to operating the ‘Loterj de Prêmios’ product, currently ‘Loterj de Prêmios’ together with Loterj, still works with the capitalization product in the philanthropic modality awarded in the Federal District, baptized as ‘Capital de Prêmios’.
MCE uses same bank account to manage public and private resources
It is worth mentioning that in the precautionary action MCE used the same bank account that it already had at Banco Bradesco, in Brasília, to manage the ‘Capital de Prêmios’ product, also to financially operate the contract bid by Loterj.
In addition to violating the proper administration practices that recommend a separate and specific account for the management of public order dividends, thus avoiding pooling private resources with state capital, that same account was also used for a third business during the pandemic, called Live Cap, who again does not refer to mandatory accountability for Loterj, but who inappropriately used resources mixed with the Loteria do RJ budget.
Loterj in the sights of Justice
For the integrity and good of the municipality, the gamblers and the social projects that Loterj has been helping for 70 years, the internal problems among MCE's administrators and shareholders have sparked countless misconceptions, suspicions of fraud, overpricing of services provided and products audited , misuse and criminal use of Loterj's cash to cover prizes whose payment obligation would be MCE's, crimes of public management, taxation and liability directly linked to public coffers that, in this case, belong and should return in the form of social programs and direct benefits to the citizen of Rio de Janeiro, and not be applied to cover up financial fraud and collaborate with a company with paid-in capital of R$ 5 million, even on the eve of the bidding process.
Source: Diário de Pernambuco
