By Indianara Goz
The president of the Mato Grosso State Audit Court (TCE-MT), Sérgio Ricardo de Almeida, is a target of the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) after cash withdrawals totaling R$ 15.6 million (Brazilian reais) between January and October 2025. The case is shaking Mato Grosso, a state in Brazil's Center-West region whose capital is Cuiabá.
Justice Og Fernandes of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), one of Brazil's highest courts, concluded that the case justified issuing preventive arrest warrants against Almeida, who holds the title of councilor (conselheiro) on the court, and other suspects. Among them is his chief of staff, Roseli Loss, who is linked to withdrawals of R$ 3.5 million.
Operation Tomada de Contas: what the Federal Police seized
The PF operation is called Tomada de Contas. Agents seized more than R$ 5 million in cash, in reais, U.S. dollars and euros. They also collected dozens of luxury watches, vehicles, weapons and bottles of wine.
150 cash withdrawals, some at the court's own headquarters
In all, investigators counted 150 separate transactions. Sixty-four were made at a bank teller window, adding up to R$ 15.47 million, and another 86 were made at ATMs. Part of these movements went through a branch of Sicoob, a cooperative bank, located inside the audit court's own headquarters in Cuiabá.
The numbers that do not add up
The core of the case is a mismatch in official figures. Bank statements showed more than R$ 15.4 million credited in the councilor's name during the period analyzed. Meanwhile, the court's own Transparency Portal listed remuneration of only R$ 288,000 for Sérgio Ricardo. That gap raised suspicions about the origin of the funds and led to the action by the Federal Justice system.
Why it matters
State audit courts in Brazil exist to oversee how public money is spent by governments and other public bodies. When the head of one of these courts is suspected of moving millions in cash, the case goes to the heart of public trust in the institutions that are supposed to watch over taxpayers' money.
What comes next
The suspicions have not yet been proven in court, and those under investigation have the right to a defense. The next developments in the inquiry will define the future of the councilor and the others named.
VDD Analysis
Audit courts exist to monitor spending and demand transparency from every branch of government. When those who are supposed to oversee are suspected of moving millions in cash, the blow lands on taxpayers' trust and demands a swift response from the courts. Citizens foot the bill, and they have a right to know the whole truth, with no shielding of anyone.
With information from Topic News.
