Former city councilman Milton Leite (União), the target of an operation by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Civil Police investigating the infiltration of the PCC faction into São Paulo's public transportation system, is considered an influential figure in São Paulo politics, with a base of operations rooted in the city's southern zone.
He was the longest-serving president of the City Council since re-democratization, leading the city's legislature in 2017 and 2018 and from 2021 to 2024 — when he decided not to run for a new council term.
On social media, Milton Leite's recent months have been dominated by campaigning for his sons Alexandre Leite, who is running for state deputy, and Milton Leite Filho, who is running for federal deputy. Alexandre served as Secretary of Institutional Relations under Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB), a position he left to compete in the October elections.
Despite no longer being active in the day-to-day workings of the City Council, Leite remains politically active. In November 2025, for example, Folha reported that he had summoned council members from his bloc to reinforce his desire for his protégé Silvão Leite (União) to assume the presidency of the chamber. In December, city councilman Ricardo Teixeira (União), who is closer to the mayor, was re-elected to the position.
In June 2025, the Alesp (São Paulo State Legislative Assembly) awarded Milton Leite the Legislative Merit Honor Collar, considered the house's highest distinction.
The collar was presented "in recognition of Leite's contributions to issues such as watershed preservation, urban development and housing, with a focus on the outskirts of São Paulo, especially the southern zone," as described in the official publication on the assembly's website.
**What the investigation says**
The judicial decision authorizing the operation, signed by appellate judge Sérgio Ribas, indicates that Leite would be "the de facto owner" of Transwolff, accused of laundering money for the PCC. Transwolff denies the accusation.
The politician's name had appeared in an inquiry by the Military Police Internal Affairs division pointing to alleged connections with military police officers arrested for providing private security escorts to company executives.
On that occasion, in February, Leite was referred to as "boss" by Military Police Sergeant Nereu Aparecido Alves in a message sent to Cícero de Oliveira, a director at Transwolff.
The inquiry pointed to alleged financial and political ties between the former councilman and the municipal bus company Transwolff, which had its contract cancelled following the Public Prosecutor's Office's Operation Fim da Linha (End of the Line), as Folha reported.
In February, Leite stated that he did not know the sergeant and that the officer had never worked on his security detail.
According to testimony from police officers, the personal security escort for company executives was organized by Captain Alexandre Paulino Vieira, who had worked at the Military Police Advisory Office of the City Council since October 2014.
During questioning on February 4th, one of the police officers arrested in the Internal Affairs operation — Sergeant Alexandre Aleixo Romano Cezario — said he believed that Captain Alexandre had been appointed to coordinate security for Transwolff executives by Milton Leite.
The Internal Affairs report also cites "close ties" between the councilman and Captain Alexandre during the period the officer worked at the municipal legislature. When questioned at the time, Leite stated that he had never nominated military police officers to provide services at the company, and said he had kept the officer in his position after the captain had remained there through two other City Council administrations.
**What Milton Leite says**
In a phone conversation with Folha, the former city councilman stated that he is outside São Paulo and that he is not a fugitive. "I will turn myself in within 24 hours. I am making arrangements with my lawyers," he said. Leite denied all accusations, such as the claim that he would be the owner of the bus company Transwolf.
"I vehemently deny it. I don't know anyone from the PCC in this life. My relationship with the (transportation) sector was institutional, at the request of then-mayor Bruno Covas. There is no possibility of me being the owner [of Transwolf]. I never owned a car. Transwolf has 600 cooperative members — how can I be the owner of a group of 600 cooperative members?" he said.
