Zona de Azar Brasil – CPI das Apostas: STJD Affirms Firmness in Punishments for Manipulation in Football

Brazil.- May 24, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com Last Wednesday (22), the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting heard the testimony of José Perdiz de Jesus, president of the Superior Court of Football Sports Justice (STJD).

He discussed measures being taken to tackle match-fixing in football. On the occasion, José Perdiz de Jesus highlighted the STJD’s commitment to applying severe penalties to those involved in these crimes, mentioning that the matter is extremely important for sport today.

José Perdiz de Jesus declared that, in the context of Operation Maximum Penalty, the STJD was one of the bodies that effectively applied sanctions to those involved. He noted that, although the law allows accused or investigated people to avoid punishment through agreements, known as non-criminal prosecution, the STJD chose to suspend the implicated players.

He added that the punishments for athletes convicted of manipulation have not yet been converted, as the moment is considered sensitive. According to him, most of the penalties were established based on evidence provided by Operation Maximum Penalty, carried out by the Public Ministry of Goiás (MP-GO).

DIFFICULTIES FACED IN INVESTIGATIONS

During the same meeting, Ronaldo Botelho Piacente, attorney general of the STJD, discussed the obstacles encountered by the body in its investigations, highlighting the difficulty of obtaining authorizations to break confidentiality.

Additionally, he highlighted FIFA’s recognition of Brazil as a global leader in the fight against fraud in sporting results.

Piacente addressed the allegations of fraud in football matches raised by John Textor, Botafogo’s main investor, emphasizing that such accusations are serious and irresponsible without concrete evidence. According to him, alleging manipulation merely based on performance is unfounded.

He emphasized that accusations of manipulation must be supported by evidence of irregular bets and concrete financial evidence, as demonstrated by the Public Ministry of Goiás, which presented bank records detailing the transactions and related dialogues.

JOHN TEXTOR AT CPI DAS APOSTAS

Businessman Textor, who was the first to testify at the CPI on April 23, delivered a confidential report to senators with allegations of irregularities.

The leader of the CPI, senator Jorge Kajuru from PSB-GO, highlighted the importance of giving credit to the businessman’s arguments to a certain extent. However, he stressed that, if the accusations are not proven, measures will be taken.

Kajuru declared: “If it is proven that he is completely wrong, as president of the CPI, I will demand that he be excluded from national football, removing himself from the Brazilian football scene.

He caused quite a stir with his presence here. If I am unable to validate his allegations, my sentence will be his exclusion from Brazilian football.”

SÃO PAULO GAMES

During the CPI session, the testimony of Julio Casares, president of São Paulo Futebol Clube, was recorded. He denied being aware of any attempts to manipulate match results. Casares called for prudence in investigating potential allegations and suggested the establishment of a football regulatory body.

“Reports of manipulation never reached my ears, except for what was reported in the press and the court decisions that imposed the appropriate sanctions. At São Paulo Futebol Clube, this was never a question”, he declared.

Casares also mentioned that the club initiated legal action so that evidence of the accusations raised by Textor could be presented. One of the matches under suspicion, mentioned by Textor, was São Paulo’s 5-0 defeat to Palmeiras, which took place on October 25 of the previous year.

He continued: “Any accusation must be properly investigated, and that is what is happening here. Whether this was an exaggeration, a nod to the fans, or an attempt to justify a lost title, in my opinion, [Textor] chose the wrong path.

São Paulo will not be the target of jokes, nor will such an important CPI, nor will public opinion.”

Former Brazilian national team player and current senator, Romário, stated that he did not notice “anything abnormal or divergent” in the significant result of the game. Kajuru challenged this view by questioning the specific moments of the game that were the subject of doubt on the part of the Botafogo owner.

ABOUT THE BETTING CPI

The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) focused on betting was installed on April 10th and is expected to operate until October 21st. The central objective of this CPI is to investigate allegations and signs of fraud in football results in Brazil, paying particular attention to athletes who may be implicated.

Editó @_fonta   www.zonadeazar.com