The (Superior Court of Justice) sentenced this Wednesday (6) the former governor of Acre Gladson Cameli () to 25 years and 9 months in prison for the crimes of criminal organization, corruption, embezzlement, money laundering and fraud in bids for a scheme involving public contracts.
The court also ordered the loss of Cameli’s position, despite the fact that he had already resigned from the state Executive in early April to run for a seat in the Senate, and ordered the payment of a fine and compensation to the state of Acre in the amount of R$11.7 million.
In a statement released on social media, Cameli said he received the decision with serenity and stated that he will appeal to the (Supreme Federal Court). “I emphasize that this stage at the STJ does not alter in any way my confidence in the final result of Justice”, he stated.
The majority of the STJ Special Court (collegiate with the court’s oldest members) followed the vote of the case’s rapporteur, Nancy Andrighi. Ministers João Otávio de Noronha, Sebastião Reis Júnior and Raul Araújo differed mainly regarding the penalty.
According to the rapporteur, Gladson Cameli was the leader of a scheme that aimed to enrich himself and included his brother Gledson de Lima Cameli, as well as a political nucleus made up of high-ranking commissioned servants.
“Several financial transactions are extracted from the records which indicate that the funds diverted from the public treasury enriched Gladson and his family”, stated the minister.
Gladson Cameli in 2024, after being accused by the PGR (Attorney General’s Office). During the process at the STJ, the former governor’s defense denied irregularities.
Initially, the body estimated that the alleged irregularities related to the governor caused losses of almost R$11.7 million to public coffers.
The records indicate that the company Murano Construções was fraudulently hired, which allegedly received R$18 million to carry out road and building works.
Technical analyzes also indicated that there would have been an overpricing of R$8.8 million, in addition to an overbilling of R$2.9 million in contracted services.
The CGU (Comptroller General of the Union) pointed out irregularities such as payment for inputs and services that were not actually provided. This was possible, according to the complaint, due to fraud in the measurements and terms signed by employees who were part of the scheme.
Murano and companies subcontracted by it — one of which has the former governor’s brother as a partner — paid bribes to the head of the state Executive in amounts exceeding R$6.1 million, through the payment of installments for an apartment in an upscale neighborhood of São Paulo and a luxury car, according to investigations.
Although the complaint only deals with crimes committed within the scope of the contract signed by the Government of Acre with Murano, stated the PGR, the scheme continued even after the contract was terminated.
The agency states that there are signs of fraud in eight contracts, and the estimate is that the losses to public coffers will reach almost R$150 million.
