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Party with money

Court orders Carnival to be suspended until Bahia city pays employees

Decision prevents the transfer of public funds for the event while there are debts with civil servants.

From the Editors

 

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

 

Updated at 10:20

 

 

The City of Correntina/BA will not be able to use public resources to hold the 2025 Carnival before paying the overdue salaries of municipal employees and regularizing transfers to the health area.

 

The preliminary decision was handed down by Judge Bruna Sousa de Oliveira, of the 1st Court for Cases Relating to Consumer, Civil and Commercial Relations of the municipality.

 

The decision provides for a daily fine of R$50,000 for Mayor Walter Mariano Messias de Souza, if he fails to comply with the order, with a limit of up to R$1 million.

 

Understand the case

 

The MP/BA filed the action after becoming aware, through social media and complaints, of the hiring of bands and artists for the carnival festivities.

 

According to the agency, the municipality declared a state of administrative emergency on January 2, alleging financial difficulties and a lack of information about debts from the previous administration.

 

However, the municipality would have allocated R$6.5 million for the event, even without paying the December 2024 salaries and the 13th salary of the employees.

 

Furthermore, the MP/BA pointed out that the city government failed to transfer funds to the health sector and has accumulated a debt of R$3.3 million with Social Security.

 

The action requested that the city government refrain from allocating and executing funds for Carnival until all financial issues were resolved and that it presented details about the expenses for the event.

 

 

Court bans city hall from spending on Carnival before paying overdue salaries.

Principles and rights

 

In her decision, the judge considered that holding Carnival with public funds, while municipal employees are not receiving their salaries, violates the principles of public administration and the right to dignity of workers.

 

 It seems unreasonable, on the one hand, for the administration to commit to the economy and fiscal austerity with regard to public servants and, on the other, for the high expenditure of public resources to promote the Carnival festivities , highlighted the judge.

 

The judge ordered the city government not to make any public expenditure on the event until salaries and health transfers are regularized.

 

It also ordered the municipality to comply, within 10 days, with the guidelines of the Courts of Auditors and the MP/BA on transparency in spending, presenting copies of contracts with artists and suppliers.

 

If the decision is not complied with, the Court authorized the immediate blocking of up to R$6 million from the municipality's accounts, via the Sisbajud banking system, until all financial issues are resolved.

 

Process : 8000130-49.2025.8.05.0069

 

 link: https://www.migalhas.com.br/quentes/424851/justica-manda-suspender-carnaval-ate-municipio-da-ba-pagar-servidores