Justice orders former secretary and Veigamed to return R$ 33 million Former Secretary of Health of Santa Catarina Helton Zeferino, responsible for the company Veigamed and a third party were ordered to return the R$ 33 million paid for respirators that would be used to treat Covid-19 patients, but which were never delivered. The sentence also declared the purchase process of this equipment null and void. The acquisition without bidding of 200 respirators for R$33 million was made in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Only 50 devices arrived in Santa Catarina and they were not the model purchased by the government. ?Click and follow the g1 SC channel on WhatsApp Defendants can still appeal the decisions. The NSC attempted to contact the former secretary's defense team and Veigamed representatives, but received no response. The following were convicted: Helton Zeferino, former Secretary of State for Health; a co-owner of the company Veigamed; a partner-owner of the company Veigamed; Veigamed Medical and Hospital Material, a company contracted by the State to purchase respirators; TS Eletronic do Brasil, company hired by Veigamed to import equipment from China to Brazil. In the case of the former secretary, the restitution must occur “to the extent of his responsibility for the invalidated administrative act”, and must have the exact value determined during the settlement phase of the sentence. TS Eletronic must only refund any amounts it has received from the company Veigamed, which will also be determined in the next phase of the action. The amount to be returned by Veigamed and the company's partners must be updated with interest and correction, but amounts already recovered or blocked through other actions regarding the respirators case will be deducted. Those responsible for the company will also continue with blocked assets to guarantee reimbursement. The former governor of Santa Catarina Carlos Moisés da Silva, who was the chief executive at the time the purchase was made, was not named in the actions. Respirator purchase case: 7 accused of criminal organization are acquitted TCE orders company and former secretaries to return R$ 33 million One of the respirators that was received Reproduction/NSC TV How was the purchase of the respirators? 200 respirators were purchased in April 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic the respirators were purchased without bidding the objective was to use the devices in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for Covid-19 patients the government of Santa Catarina paid R$33 million in advance for the respirators Only 50 devices arrived in Santa Catarina and were delivered to the state in May 2020. the 50 devices were confiscated by the Revenue Federal due to irregularities in the documentation before being delivered to the state only 11 devices were approved by technicians from the State Department of Health they were sent to health units in the Serra, South and West of Santa Catarina none of the devices could be used in the ICU for Covid-19 patients, which was the purpose of the purchase VIDEOS: most watched from g1 SC in the last 7 days