The club’s former president is still under suspicion of falsifying tax documents; information was released by prosecutor Cássio Roberto Conserino, responsible for investigating alleged undue expenses
former president of , and Roberto Gavioli, the club’s financial director, were charged by the Public Ministry of (MP-SP) for crimes of embezzlement and money laundering. Andrés is still under suspicion of falsifying tax documents. There is also a request for the constitution of tax credit in relation to the former agent due to illicit asset additions.
The information was released this Wednesday by prosecutor Cássio Roberto Conserino, responsible for investigating alleged improper expenses at the club between 2018 and 2025, in a press conference at the Barra Funda Forum. Andrés Sanchez must reimburse the club R$480,000 for misappropriation, in addition to amounts for moral damages. “This is a complaint with two antecedent crimes: misappropriation of corporate cards, falsification of fiscal and tax documents. And there is the possibility that, in the future, there will be a crime of tax evasion”, he stated.
In August, judge Marcia Mayumi Okoda Oshiro, who is part of the 2nd Court of Tax Crimes, Criminal Organization and Money Laundering, responded to a request from the MP-SP and authorized the breach of confidentiality of Corinthians’ corporate credit cards. The judge also authorized the breach of confidentiality at Oliveira Minimercado, an establishment suspected of issuing cold notes to the club. The company tries to prevent the legal measure through habeas corpus.
“Gavioli had the duty to prevent the result and guarantee the legal good. Verify the relevance of the amount spent on the invoice. He was obliged to prepare a report to present to internal bodies and be accountable. During interrogation, he said that he had no duty to carry out an investigation. That is why he also entered the role of co-reportee.”
The prosecutor informed that, now, the MP will look into the former president’s invoices. Denilson Grilo, the former president’s driver, will be interviewed on October 23rd.
Understand the case
The MP-SP investigation into undue spending at Corinthians began in August this year following a report by GE indicate suspicious movements in the management of Duílio Monteiro Alves. In just the last week of October 2023, Corinthians spent R$32,500 at Oliveira Minimercado, whose address, according to the prosecutor’s office, does not contain “any business or remnants of business”.
Other expenses found included beer, picanha, ice cream, fruit, vegetables, bleach, fabric softener, detergents, pizza, fish, sweets, lighters, flowers, animal food, women’s jewelry and stuffed dogs. At the time, the president defended himself. “Alleged spreadsheets and invoices from my management, published on anonymous profiles with the political objective of assassinating reputations on social media, I requested the club to access such documents, so that I could check their veracity”.
The controversy over misuse of corporate cards came to light weeks earlier, in June, with invoices for the club’s corporate card leaked on social media. Former president Andrés Sanchez admitted to having used it, but by mistake, when he confused his personal card with the club’s during a New Year’s Eve trip between the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. The expense was R$9,416 and, in contact with Estadão, he claimed to have reimbursed the club for R$15,000.
On July 19, Corinthians filed a police report after discovering that records on expense control were missing. The absence of documents was noticed after Romeu Tuma Jr, president of the Deliberative Council, ordered the preservation of all corresponding and supporting documents from the last seven years.
The board believes that the papers were stolen during the incidents of May 31, when the removed president appeared at Parque São Jorge claiming the position based on a decision taken by the 1st Secretary of the Deliberative Council, Maria Angela de Sousa Ocampos, who canceled the meeting that initiated the impeachment process against the leader.
A great deal of confusion took over the headquarters that day and the Military Police Shock Battalion had to be called to the scene. Despite the turmoil, Augusto’s arguments were considered to have no statutory basis and Osmar Stabile remained in his role as interim president.
Augusto Melo was charged by the Public Prosecutor’s Office with money laundering, theft qualified by breach of trust and criminal organization, crimes to which he is associated in the police investigation into the Vai de Bet Case. He denies all the accusations, and his defense filed a request for summary rejection of the MP’s complaint, “due to procedural nullities, improper direction of the investigation and material incompetence”.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
Published by Nícolas Robert
