São Paulo governor and reelection candidate Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos party) said on Thursday (17) that his relationship with former São Paulo City Council president Milton Leite (União Brasil), the target of a temporary arrest warrant in the Vectura Corrupta operation, was always "institutional". He spoke to journalists at the site of the future Regional Hospital of Itapetininga, in the state's interior, during a campaign stop.
The operation, led by the São Paulo state prosecutor's office and the civil police, investigates infiltration by the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), Brazil's largest criminal faction, into public office and the city's bus system. According to InfoMoney, agents went out to serve 16 arrest warrants and 18 search and seizure warrants. Leite led the City Council for six years and is an ally of Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB), who praised Leite's "history" and said it is up to him to prove his innocence.
Praise during the campaign
Tarcísio was asked about remarks he made on August 30, at the launch of the campaigns of Leite's sons, Alexandre Leite and Milton Leite Filho. At the time, according to G1, he called Leite a great ally and said the family took him in when he arrived in São Paulo. Asked whether the operation changes his support for the sons' candidacies, the governor did not answer directly, according to InfoMoney.
In his reply, he cited sanitation work at the Billings and Guarapiranga reservoirs and the arrival of rail service to Parelheiros, in the city's south, as examples of the relationship. "This has nothing to do with other matters, which are the subject of investigation", he said, according to InfoMoney.
"The relationship we had was always an institutional relationship, a relationship to discuss the water sources, the treatment, basic sanitation at Billings, at Guarapiranga [...], so it was always an institutional relationship, a constructive relationship, focused on projects", Tarcísio said.
"No one is above the law"
Tarcísio also argued that investigations do not follow political criteria. According to G1, he told TV TEM that the operation stems from an investigation opened in 2024 into criminal interference in the transport sector. "This also shows that no one is above the law, operations do not see people, they do not see parties, they do not see political positions, they see facts", he said. He added that those involved have the rights to defense and to be heard, guaranteed by the Constitution, and that it falls to the police and prosecutors "to provide clarification, to deepen the investigations".
After the interview, Tarcísio gave a speech and joined a walkabout in downtown Itapetininga alongside Senate candidates Guilherme Derrite (PP) and André do Prado (PL), then traveled on to Itapeva. The campaign schedule comes less than three weeks before the first round of Brazil's general elections, set for October 4, which includes the São Paulo governorship. The PCC investigation remains with the state civil police and prosecutors, and Leite is still the target of the temporary arrest warrant.