The actions of the Civil Police and the Public Ministry indicate that the illegal box sales scheme at Morumbis, the São Paulo Futebol Clube stadium, located in the west zone of the capital, has caused losses to the club and generated profits for those involved.
This Wednesday morning (21), four search and seizure warrants were executed against three people under investigation. The action resulted in the seizure of money, documents and a computer. Prosecutor José Reinaldo Guimarães Carneiro, who is working on the case, classified the operation as successful.
In conversation with the Sheethe stated that the investigations indicate the involvement of more people than initially observed. The scheme would also be old, involving several shows, not just that of Colombian singer Shakira, in February 2025.
According to Carneiro, the amount obtained by those involved was shared between them, without anything going back to the club. “São Paulo is a victim of resources manipulated by the board itself. Morumbis has turned into a personal fundraising machine”, stated the prosecutor.
The searches and seizures this Wednesday were carried out against Douglas Schwartzmann, deputy director of grassroots football, Mara Casares, ex-wife of Julio Casares, the club’s removed president, and Rita de Cássia Adriana Prado.
Rita Adriana could not be found at her address. Her children, who were at the scene, reported that she currently lives elsewhere. The police claim to have seized notes of interest to the investigation.
R$20,000 in cash were seized at Mara Casares’ residence, as well as documentation and a computer.
Douglas Schwartzmann wasn’t home either. Teams discovered he is out of the country. His children welcomed the police officers.
In a statement, Mara’s defense said that she was “surprised today with the execution of a precautionary search and seizure measure at her residence” and added that she “maintains her unrestricted stance of collaborating extensively in the elucidation of the facts investigated, the fairness of her actions will be proven throughout this police investigation”.
Douglas’ lawyers criticized the operation. “In all evidence, the search carried out on this date – precisely when the authorities were previously aware that Douglas would be out of the country – has the sole purpose of embarrassing him, since such a measure was completely harmless”, they stated.
The club’s advisors told the Sheet that São Paulo is a victim and will contribute to the investigation.
IMPEACHMENT OF CASARES
The São Paulo Deliberative Council approved on Friday (16) the removal of Julio Casares from the club’s presidency. In the impeachment vote, 188 councilors voted against his remaining in office. There were 45 votes to reject the request and two blank votes.
Casares’ fall is a consequence of the meltdown of his political capital, caused by a series of scandals that shook the administration. Vice-president Harry Massis Junior, 80, assumes the role on an interim basis.
The dismissal request, filed on December 23, is based on suspicion of irregular use of Morumbis boxes during shows.
In December, the website ge.com released audios that would indicate an alleged scheme of clandestine ticket sales from a box reserved for the president on days of musical events at the stadium.
After the material was released, Mara Casares, then women’s, cultural and events director, and Douglas Schwartzmann stepped down from their positions.
In recent weeks, while the box case was gaining repercussion, the Civil Police already had an open investigation, with different investigation fronts: one on alleged irregularities in the football department and another related to the bank accounts of São Paulo Futebol Clube and Julio Casares.
The Civil Police investigates, for example, the receipt of R$1.5 million in cash deposits into the leader’s personal accounts. Another line of investigation tries to clarify the making of 35 withdrawals from the club’s accounts between 2021 and 2025, totaling R$11 million.
Lawyers Daniel Bialski and Bruno Borragine, who represent Casares, stated that the financial movements highlighted in the Coaf report “have a lawful and legitimate origin, compatible with the evolution of the financial capacity” of the director.
According to the defense, before assuming the presidency of São Paulo, Casares held senior management positions in the private sector, with high pay. The origin of the resources, say the lawyers, will be clarified throughout the investigations, with the presentation of documents and tax declarations.
See note from Mara Casares’ defense
Mrs. Mara Suely Soares de Melo Casares, through her lawyers Rafael Maluf, Paula Stoco and Chiara de Siqueira, announces that she was surprised today with the execution of a precautionary search and seizure measure at her residence.
It should be noted that Mrs. Mara Suely Soares de Melo Casares has always made herself available to the Police Authority to provide the necessary clarifications regarding the facts investigated in the files of the aforementioned Police Inquiry, never having been summoned for any act aimed at clarifying them, even with the constant face-to-face contact between her lawyers and the Police Authority. The collaborative stance of Mrs. Mara Suely Soares de Melo Casares in unraveling the investigations, the content of which is widely publicized in the media, is undeniable. Therefore, a measure of this severity, the facts of which are public, makes it unnecessary and innocuous, leaving the objective solely to be the media and abusive exposure of Mrs. Mara and her family.
Ms. Mara Casares maintains her unrestricted stance of contributing extensively to the elucidation of the facts investigated, the fairness of her actions will be proven throughout this police investigation. Finally, the Defense clarifies that it has not yet had access to the full decision handed down by the Court of Guarantees of the Central Criminal Forum of the Capital of the State of São Paulo, which determined the search and seizure measure.
See note from Douglas Schwartzmann’s defense
At the end of last year, when it became aware of the investigation through the media, the Defense went to the Police Station and informed that Mr. Douglas Schwartzmann was at the entire disposal of the Police Authority to provide clarification on the facts.
Next, on January 9th, Defense formally informed the Police Authority that Mr. Douglas would be traveling abroad in the week of January 18th, due to professional commitments.
On that occasion, a copy of the plane tickets – round trip – was presented, as well as documentation proving the activities he would carry out abroad.
Today, civil police officers went to Mr. Douglas’s residence and found the obvious: he was not there.
It is clear that the search carried out on this date – precisely when the Authorities were previously aware that Douglas would be out of the country – has the sole purpose of embarrassing him, since such a measure was completely harmless.
