The changed a public consultation for the change of a bank branch in Paraíba and established criteria that would allow the bank to rent land from the president of , (-PB).
The bank claims that it has given up on changing the address of the Patos (PB) branch, but refuses to say whether the decision was made before or after the case became public. Last October, the change in the notice was reported by a journalist from Patos. THE Sheet He asked Caixa three times to inform him on what date the agency’s transfer process was considered unfeasible, but there was no response.
Motta’s political stronghold, Nabor Wanderley (Republicans), pre-candidate for senator in this year’s elections.
In the first consultation, launched in January 2023, Caixa determined that the land or property could be located around seven streets in the city, close to the branch’s current address, which is in a shopping mall.
The call listed: “in the vicinity of Juvenal Lucio street, Enaldo Torres Fernandes street, João de Barros street, Cel. Miguel Sátiro street, Pedro Firmino street and Felizardo Leite street, located in the center, as well as on Horácio Nóbrega street, Belo Horizonte neighborhood”.
The process did not progress and, in March 2025, another consultation was opened. In the second attempt, the possible address was “preferably” on Rua do Prado, between numbers 1 and 200, in the center, or “from Rua Pedro Firmino to Rua Felizardo Leite”. Motta’s land is on the first block of Rua do Prado, in an unnumbered property, close to number 15.
Another change was the reduction in the size of the required area, from approximately 1,400 m² to 935 m². Motta’s land, measuring 1,070 m², did not meet the initial requirements, but was accepted in the second consultation.
A Sheet obtained through the LAI (Access to Information Law) all the responses filed in the two public consultations carried out by Caixa.
The 2025 call received two offers until the closing date, on May 8: one from the company Medeiros e Medeiros, which is in the name of the wife of the president of the Chamber, Luana Motta, and another from Antonio de Araújo Amorim, his cousin.
Amorim wanted to receive R$44.1 thousand per month in rent, while Motta asked for R$43 thousand per month for five years, totaling R$2.6 million. According to the land certificate, Motta purchased the area in March 2023 for R$900,000.
The second public consultation was opened on March 6, 2025. Medeiros e Medeiros’ proposal was signed on April 4. The header, however, contains another date: March 4, two days before the opening of the consultation. Amorim’s proposal, in turn, was filed on April 23.
Caixa inspected the land of the two competitors. She considered Motta’s cousin’s land unviable because the built area was less than the minimum requested by the bank, and “the owner ruled out any type of intervention”. The same land was the only one registered in the 2023 consultation. At the time, Caixa understood that renting the site was viable.
Motta’s land, according to the inspection report, was considered suitable. Caixa even estimated the costs for relocating the branch. The owners were expected to spend R$4.1 million on constructing the building to the required standard. The bank, in turn, would invest R$685,000 in furniture and other items.
Wanted by SheetMotta said that he did not participate in any attempt to obtain favor from Caixa. The deputy stated that there is an inference based on family ties and preliminary versions of documents and reinforced “his commitment to public ethics and impersonality in the performance of his duties.”
“The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta, clarifies that he did not participate in any initiative to direct public consultation or obtain favor in a possible hiring by Caixa”, said Motta.
“The president also emphasizes that insinuations of conflict of interest based on family ties or preliminary versions of documents lack support to support any narrative of irregularity, especially when such conclusions involve contracts that have not even been concluded.”
When questioned, Caixa said that it “carried out studies to readapt the Patos (PB) branch to a location with greater visibility in the city”, but abandoned the change.
“Considering the limited supply of proposals, technical analyzes regarding cost-benefit and sustainability criteria, it was concluded that the change was not financially viable and the process was closed,” he stated.
“The bank informs that it carries out continuous assessments of its service network, always with the aim of offering convenience, quality and efficiency to the population.”
In the request for information via LAI, Caixa informs that “a study was carried out to evaluate the possibility of readjustment to a location with greater visibility” — the current unit is in Guedes Shopping, in the center.
“After technical analysis, it was concluded that the change was not financially viable, which is why the process was closed”, he adds.
Motta’s land selection was on October 3rd. The full video of the program is no longer available on the journalist’s Facebook.
Martinez said that the notice had already been approved and that, “in the next few days”, a company would begin construction of the structure. The radio host also said that the chosen land had been “recently” acquired by Motta’s family. “The bid was approved by the federal government”, he stated on the occasion, live.
A Sheet found that the agency’s move was in fact agreed on October 3, but was later suspended.
Since the end of 2023, Caixa has been under the command of Carlos Vieira, sponsored by the former president of the Chamber of Deputies Arthur Lira (PP-AL).
Motta was responsible for appointing the bank’s vice-president of government, José Marcos de Carvalho, from Paraíba. Before being promoted to vice, in August, Carvalho was Caixa’s superintendent in areas responsible for serving the city of Patos.
Chronology
January 27, 2023: Caixa opens public consultation to change Patos branch address
March 24, 2023: Motta buys land on Rua do Prado, in Patos
March 6, 2025: Caixa opens new public consultation to change branch address
October 3, 2025: Journalist Célio Martinez reports on the transfer of the agency to land owned by Motta’s family
November 5, 2025: Sheet requests, via LAI, all documents from the two public consultations
November 6, 2025: Sheet is informed, through a person with access to the case, that the change had been suspended
