The Rio de Janeiro State Court of Auditors (TCE-RJ) has launched a formal investigation into a major public contract for the installation of 302 electronic speed radars on state highways. The probe centers on allegations of bid-rigging and possible cartel formation among the companies that participated in the tender process managed by the state's Department of Roads and Highways (DER).
The investigation was triggered after the TCE-RJ received complaints highlighting suspicious patterns in the bidding. A key point of concern was the negligible difference in pricing between the top two bids for one of the contract lots. The winning company, Splice Indústria, Comércio e Serviços Ltda, submitted a proposal valued at R$78.5 million. The second-place bidder, CLD Construtora Laços Detectores e Eletrônica Ltda, offered a price that was only one cent lower, a detail that raised immediate red flags for investigators.
The contract, which was tendered in October of the previous year but only officially published in February, aims to significantly expand electronic traffic surveillance across the state. The plan would increase the total number of operational radars from 88 to 390, covering strategic highway access points to the Metropolitan, South Fluminense, Serrana, Lakes, and North regions of Rio de Janeiro state.
The case has escalated to the state legislature, the Alerj, where State Deputy Vitor Júnior (PDT) filed a formal complaint. The deputy characterized the tender as a directed process orchestrated by a cartel designed to drain public coffers. He called for an immediate suspension of the contract, labeling it a crime against the state's budget. Deputy Vitor Júnior further alleged that the involved companies have a history of forming consortia together in other states, including São Paulo and Amazonas, where one firm is already under investigation for alleged misappropriation of over R$100 million.
The financial stakes are enormous. The contracts for the three lots total more than R$230 million. However, the complaint submitted to the TCE suggests that with potential contract extensions, the total cost to the state could approach nearly R$1 billion. Despite the cloud of suspicion, the installation of the new radar equipment has already commenced.
In response to the allegations, the DER issued a statement defending the integrity of the process, asserting it was conducted with full transparency. The department also noted that no participating company filed an appeal following the publication of the tender results. The companies directly implicated in the allegations, Splice and CLD, did not respond to requests for comment.
The TCE-RJ has given the DER a five-day deadline to provide clarifying documents and explanations regarding the tender. The court's decision also mandates that the case files be forwarded to the State Prosecutor's Office for external control and the Public Ministry of Accounts for further potential action. Legal experts consulted in the matter warned that fraud in public tenders not only causes direct financial loss to the state but also compromises the quality of the contracted services, as a lack of genuine competition can lead to inferior products being supplied.
Based on reporting from g1.