Management does not know where R$23 million worth of materials purchased by the department ended up. The hole was identified after carrying out an inventory of the warehouse, requested by the (State Audit Court) of .
The inventory committee identified commitment notes relating to purchases of materials corresponding to R$51.5 million. The items stored on the secretariat’s premises, however, total only R$16.7 million.
The department mobilized to try to account for the difference, and located the destination of another R$11.5 million – part of the materials had been donated. Even so, the rest of the items were not identified.
Wanted by Sheetthe secretariat stated that it determined “the implementation of improved control, tracking and asset management measures”. “The Sports Secretariat reaffirms its commitment to the correct application of public resources and the transparency of its actions”, said a statement from the organization.
The ministry stated that “a preliminary analysis report was being produced that will support” the initiation of an inquiry.
Vitor Schirato, professor of administrative law at the USP Law School, says that, in a case like this, an investigation should be opened immediately. “Imagine a private company with a stock difference of millions. Put half the company on the street the next day.”
Schirato says that the investigation does not necessarily serve to punish the public servant, but to clarify the facts.
At the beginning of 2025, during an examination of the portfolio’s accountability for the previous year, the TCE-SP identified a discrepancy in the warehouse balance between the value presented by the secretariat and that recorded in Siafem, a budget control tool.
The court’s inspection team also highlighted in a report that there was no stock control that would allow a physical inventory to be drawn up, contrary to legislation.
At the end of the year, advisor Sidney Estanislau Beraldo voted to approve the general balance, indicating the adoption of corrective measures.
In April last year, after inspection by the TCE, the then secretary of the department, , determined the creation of an inventory committee to survey the materials in stock.
A Sheet obtained the documents related to this case via the Access to Information Law.
In June, server Sergio Soares, coordinator of the commission, indicated in the inventory statement a discrepancy of R$34.7 million between the materials found “on site” at three addresses related to the secretariat and the book value identified in the commitment notes.
The commission recorded a “lack of zeal” and disorganization in storing the items. Images attached to the inventory document show open cardboard crates stacked on top of each other.
The group also did not find “any form of physical and accounting inventory control of the material.”
The commission even asked the general coordinator, the chief of staff and the administration division of the secretariat to send receipts for materials that had been donated, but only one employee responded to the request.
In July, the then executive secretary José Ribeiro Lemos Junior requested the undersecretary of corporate management, Marcelo Nanya, and the general sports coordinator, Carlos Henrique Araujo, to adopt seven measures “with maximum priority and diligence” to regularize the flaws highlighted.
Lemos also ordered the presentation of a detailed action plan to carry out the aforementioned measures, which was not fulfilled. In October, the executive secretary ordered the creation of a working team to investigate the R$34.7 million shortfall.
“If the delivery of any material is not proven by means of a receipt (…), the remaining value of the sporting equipment will be the subject of a preliminary investigation”, he wrote.
In December, Nanya informed Lemos about the location of materials totaling R$11.5 million. Part of it corresponded to donated items and part to “consumable materials linked to the general coordination”, related to games and competitions.
Questioned by Sheet Regarding who the beneficiaries of the donations were, the ministry responded that the items “are intended for schools, entities, municipalities and sports competitions scheduled in the ministry’s calendar.” “Materials are distributed upon formal request, made by official letter.”
In the order sent to the then executive secretary, Nanya said that there were difficulties in the document collection phase, “especially regarding the identification, correlation and link between physical materials, stock records and respective commitment notes”.
He also stated that new receipts and documents located after the first phase of write-offs were being organized. He also said that a new count of physical materials was underway.
Nanya argued that, for these reasons, the remaining value of R$23 million in unlocated materials could not be considered for calculation purposes.
At the beginning of 2026, Lemos was dismissed at the request of secretary Helena Reis – according to people interviewed for the report under reserve, the pressure he exerted to open investigations was uncomfortable. Nanya was also dismissed around the same time.
