Surgeons linked to Roraima’s senator are investigated by PF for fraud

Winicyus Gonçalves – Cenarium Amazon Magazine

BOA VISTA (RR) – Names linked to Roraima Senator Mecias de Jesus (Republicans) are among those investigated by the Federal Police (PF) on suspicion of directing patients to go to a private clinic, while there was material to perform procedures at the General Hospital of Roraima (HGR). Those involved are businessman Rodrigo Acioly, Daniel do Carmo and Dennis Dinelly.

Those investigated are among the ten targets of search and seizure warrants served by the PF under Operation Esculápio, launched last Tuesday, 1st. Acioly is the husband of Senator Mecias’ alternate, nurse Roberta Leontina Xisto Acioly.

Roberta was part of the senator’s slate elected in 2014 with 85,366 votes and is the first alternate. Dinelly and do Carmo also work in the public and private network in Boa Vista.

CENARIUM MAGAZINE‘s report team tried to contact the parliamentarians’ defenses, but there was no return until the closing of the article. In a note, the communication office of Senator Mecias de Jesus informs that the parliamentarian will not comment, as the investigation does not involve the politician and includes only the personal and professional life of the surgeons.

Alleged scheme

The PF investigates the existence of an organization responsible for inducing patients to perform dental procedures in a private clinic in Boa Vista, funded by the State, even though there are materials to perform them at HGR. In addition to the search and seizure warrants, the corporation served another eight asset blocking warrants in the Roraima capita, also requesting the blocking of about R$ 9.5 million from the accounts of the investigated.

Patients would be informed by professionals that there were no conditions to perform some surgeries due to lack of material. The dentists, with ties to both the hospital and the private clinic, would guide patients to file a lawsuit in the State Court so that the State would pay for the procedures in a clinic that would belong to the gang members.

CPI of Health

The scheme had been the subject of a complaint made to the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) of Health, installed in 2019, after the then Secretary of Health of Roraima denounced that there was systemic corruption in the public health of the State.

According to the testimonies, patients filed lawsuits in court to guarantee the procedures and the Public Prosecutor’s Office authorized the surgeries to be performed in private clinics. All the cost estimates that reached the MP came from the private clinics of Acioly, Dinelly and do Carmo, with prices up to three times higher than the values practiced in others. The estimates were always from three dentists.

Despite the complaints, the names of the surgeons were removed from the CPI list that requested the indictment of 65 people in 2021, after a request from deputy Lenir Rodrigues, who claimed at the time that there was no evidence to justify the indictment of the surgeons.

Lawmakers Jorge Everton, as well as Nilton Sindpol, were president and vice-president of the CPI, respectively, and voted against. However, deputies Renato Silva, Lenir Rodrigues and then deputy Evangelista Siqueira voted in favor.

Bidding

The PF is also investigating fraud in bidding in the health area. The investigations suggest that the result of an electronic auction promoted by the Roraima Health Department for the supply of dental materials to the hospital was directed.

The materials were budgeted at higher values than those in the SUS price list. In some cases, the contracting was up to 1,000% more expensive than the average price indicated in the official table.