Brazilian ex-mayor with fondness for WhatsApp reportedly on the lam

Shasta Darlington
By Shasta Darlington, CNN
Updated 6:59 PM EDT, Tue September 1, 2015
In an attempt to dominate messaging online, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/19/technology/social/facebook-whatsapp/">Facebook acquired WhatsApp</a> for the record sum of $19 billion. The five-year old app had 450 million users at the time of the acquisition in February 2014, adding a million users every day.
WhatsApp —
In an attempt to dominate messaging online, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for the record sum of $19 billion. The five-year old app had 450 million users at the time of the acquisition in February 2014, adding a million users every day.
GABRIEL BOUYS/afp/getty images
Oculus makes a virtual reality headset which covers users' eyes and immerses them in a virtual environment that responds to their head movements. Facebook said its focus is on investing in the product for the future.
Oculus VR —
Oculus makes a virtual reality headset which covers users' eyes and immerses them in a virtual environment that responds to their head movements. Facebook said its focus is on investing in the product for the future.
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
Facebook bought the photo-sharing network Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 with a combination of cash and stock. "Providing the best photo sharing experience is one reason why so many people love Facebook and we knew it would be worth bringing these two companies together," <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/09/technology/facebook_acquires_instagram/">Mark Zuckerberg said about the purchase</a>.
Instagram —
Facebook bought the photo-sharing network Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 with a combination of cash and stock. "Providing the best photo sharing experience is one reason why so many people love Facebook and we knew it would be worth bringing these two companies together," Mark Zuckerberg said about the purchase.
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images
Facebook <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/02/technology/gowalla_facebook/">acquired location sharing service Gowalla</a> for an undisclosed sum in 2011. The purchase enabled Facebook users to share their location more often. Its features were <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/05/tech/social-media/facebook-gowalla-cashmore/"> integrated into Facebook's Timeline</a>, which was launched at around the same time.
Gowalla —
Facebook acquired location sharing service Gowalla for an undisclosed sum in 2011. The purchase enabled Facebook users to share their location more often. Its features were integrated into Facebook's Timeline, which was launched at around the same time.
gowalla
When Facebook bought Parakey in 2007 for an undisclosed sum, it was its first big acquisition. Facebook was actually buying the brains behind the startup -- Blake Ross and Joe Hewitt, the co-founders of Mozilla Firefox, an open-source web browser. Ross and Hewitt joined Facebook's team to work on the development of the network.
Parakey —
When Facebook bought Parakey in 2007 for an undisclosed sum, it was its first big acquisition. Facebook was actually buying the brains behind the startup -- Blake Ross and Joe Hewitt, the co-founders of Mozilla Firefox, an open-source web browser. Ross and Hewitt joined Facebook's team to work on the development of the network.
AFP/Getty Images
In a deal that inspired the 2010 Oscar-nominated drama "The Social Network," Facebook agreed to acquire ConnectU from the Winklevoss brothers after a court settlement under which Facebook bought the rival networking site for cash and a share in Facebook stock.
ConnectU —
In a deal that inspired the 2010 Oscar-nominated drama "The Social Network," Facebook agreed to acquire ConnectU from the Winklevoss brothers after a court settlement under which Facebook bought the rival networking site for cash and a share in Facebook stock.
THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images
Facebook's top acquisitions

Story highlights

Brazilian authorities are looking for Lidiane Leite, the 25-year-old ex-mayor of Bom Jardim

She's accused of siphoning funds from schools while "flaunting a luxurious lifestyle," one official says

Rio de Janeiro CNN  — 

The former mayor of a Brazilian town has disappeared after being accused of embezzling money from schools and often running the town hall from her WhatsApp account, authorities said.

Lidiane Leite has been on the run for 12 days, with no clues to her whereabouts, a Federal Police delegate from the northern state of Maranhao told CNN.

“She is the most wanted person in Maranhao now,” Max Ribeiro said. “She can’t hide for much longer.”

Leite, 25, was the mayor of the town of Bom Jardim, which is about 275 kilometers (170 miles) southwest of Sao Luis, the capital of the tropical Maranhao state, which borders the Atlantic Ocean.

She is being investigated by authorities, accused of siphoning off funds earmarked for school lunches and refurbishments. She has been indicted, but apparently doesn’t have an attorney at this time.

Leite enraged local residents by posting pictures of herself at nightclubs and parties in Sao Luis and is said to have sent messages to her Cabinet via WhatsApp.

“She started flaunting a luxurious lifestyle that her salary couldn’t afford,” Ribeiro said. “She was traveling, doing plastic surgeries and buying expensive cars.”

“There were also complaints that she was leaving town every week and sending orders over phone apps like WhatsApp,” he added.

Leite was removed from her post on Sunday after officially abandoning her office for 10 days. Her deputy was sworn in as interim mayor.

Many residents in Bom Jardim – a town of 39,000 in one of Brazil’s poorest states – have taken to the streets to demand an end to corruption.

In total, Federal Police believe that more than $1 million was siphoned off in a corruption scheme also involving other members of the local government.

According to Ribeiro, Leite’s boyfriend at the time, Beto Rocha, ran for mayor of Bom Jardim back in 2012. But two days before the vote, he was barred from participating in elections because of allegations of corruption, and Leite stepped in to replace him.

Rocha, now her ex-boyfriend, was arrested as part of the current investigation into Leite. He’s been indicted and is in jail.

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