São Paulo prosecutors want Corinthians’ card spending revealed | OneFootball

The São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office has submitted a request to the courts to break the confidentiality of Corinthians' corporate credit cards, covering the period from January 2018 to May 2025. This timeframe includes the administrations of former presidents Andrés Sanchez, Duilio Monteiro Alves, and Augusto Melo. The information was reported by the portal ge.globo.

The prosecution had previously requested the card statements directly from the club but has yet to receive a response. Among the arguments presented, the Public Prosecutor's Office cited administrative disorganization, inaction by the board, and reports of document theft during an invasion of Parque São Jorge. The agency also mentioned the existence of “political interests, not very orthodox and conflicting,” which would be hindering the progress of the investigations.

Photo: José Manoel Idalgo/Agência Corinthians

The São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office also requested the lifting of tax secrecy for Oliveira Minimercado, suspected of being a shell company and responsible for invoices issued to Corinthians in 2023. In testimony, the partners claimed to have supplied lunchboxes to the club but could not explain how the relationship began or with whom they negotiated. Furthermore, they admitted not having an industrial kitchen and could not identify who the company's employees were.

The case was sent to the Department of Police Inquiries of the São Paulo Court of Justice and transferred to one of the courts specializing in tax crimes, criminal organizations, and money laundering. There is still no decision on the merits.

The former president Andrés Sanchez confirmed the authenticity of at least one of the leaked corporate card statements, which recorded expenses during New Year's Eve in Tibau do Sul (RN). He claimed to have reimbursed the club for the amount spent. In testimony to the Public Prosecutor's Office, current president Osmar Stabile stated he does not oppose the lifting of the club's card confidentiality and, according to an investigation by Central do Timão, requested time to assess the matter with the Deliberative Council and provide the documents.

In addition to the use of corporate cards, the Public Prosecutor's Office is also investigating a presidential expense report dated October 2023. Among the suppliers mentioned, the workshop R. M. INOUE LTDA confirmed it had issued an invoice to the club but stated it had not received payment because the planned automotive repair was not carried out. The inclusion of this document in a reimbursement request raised suspicions of embezzlement. It was also considered odd that the invoice was not canceled by the establishment.

The criminal inquiry was opened by the Public Prosecutor's Office on July 30, initially to investigate the alleged misuse of credit cards during the administrations of Andrés Sanchez and Duilio Monteiro Alves. A few days later, the investigation was expanded to include the October 2023 expense report. Because he signed this document, Denilson Grillo, former driver for Duilio, became a suspect and is expected to testify soon.

At the beginning of August, the prosecution decided to extend the investigation to include the period of Augusto Melo's administration, from January 2024 to May 2025. Leading the case, prosecutor Cássio Roberto Conserino has already heard the club's financial manager Roberto Gavioli, as well as president Osmar Stabile and the president of the Deliberative Council, Romeu Tuma Júnior. The latter, in an interview with Central do Timão, commented on both the investigation conducted by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the club's internal investigation, overseen by the CD's Justice Commission.

“I did not understand the statement by His Excellency Dr. Conserino, because everything that was requested from the Club is being provided, at least on the part of the Deliberative Council. We have provided the requested information, and I myself have given clarifications in person and provided various pieces of information.

The internal investigation follows the statutory procedure, and we do not have police powers nor do we investigate crimes, but statutory infractions, and these follow a procedure established by the Commission, which is in charge of the investigation.

It is worth noting that until Monday we were without a President of the Ethics Commission, whom I appointed to accompany the work of the Council's Justice Commission, which has its own methodology and has drawn up a work plan aiming for speed and objectivity. Therefore, to claim that there are unorthodox political interests, I believe, is not at least a respectful statement for those who have sought to find the truth, but without prejudgment,” declared Tuma.

See more:

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.