Sergipe Court of Accounts Prosecutor Seeks Review of Aracaju Electric Bus Deal

The Public Prosecutor's Office for Accounts of Sergipe (MPC-SE) has filed an appeal requesting a new review of a decision by the State Court of Accounts (TCE). The TCE had previously deemed regular the contracting of 15 electric buses and chargers for the Prefecture of Aracaju, valued at approximately R$ 56 million, and ordered the case closed. The MPC-SE argues that the TCE's initial decision was flawed because no technical study was presented to prove that Aracaju's adherence to Belém's (Pará) Price Registration Record was more advantageous than other options, such as vehicle leasing or conducting its own bidding process. The prosecutor's office also contends that the case was closed prematurely, leaving crucial points unresolved that are essential for the decision's reliability. Furthermore, the MPC-SE highlighted that price references for lower values, even for the same bus model, were presented by other agencies, but the discrepancies were not adequately explained during the contracting process. The Prefecture of Aracaju stated that it had not yet been officially notified of the MPC-SE's request.