Zona de Azar Brazil – Brazil: Money Laundering Involving PCC and Serie A Clubs

Brazil – August 23, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com Senator Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO) stated on Wednesday (21) during a speech in the Plenary that the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating a money laundering scheme involving the criminal faction Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) in the negotiation of Serie A football players in the Brazilian Championship.

The senator emphasized that the information disclosed by UOL and Folha de S.Paulo emerged after a plea deal by real estate agent Antônio Vinícius Lopes, who admitted involvement in the scheme. According to the reports, evidence was presented that player agencies had negotiated athletes from Corinthians and São Paulo using funds from organized crime.

— The individual in question allegedly provided prosecutors with contracts, payment receipts, and WhatsApp chat screenshots indicating a supposed involvement of Primeiro Comando da Capital in São Paulo in player acquisitions. The main suspicion of the prosecutors is money laundering from drug trafficking through player agencies. However, there is no evidence that the players were aware of the origin of the money. Many details are still missing, but they will come, and the investigation itself is another sad story involving our football — said the senator.

Kajuru, who chairs the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) on Game and Sports Betting Manipulation, stressed the need to “preserve the integrity of Brazilian football.” He mentioned the responses from São Paulo and Corinthians clubs, which denied any involvement in the case.

— I do not want to prejudge, but I hope the prosecutors thoroughly pursue the work they have started. As a member of the Sports Commission and also the Public Security Commission, as vice-president, I will closely follow the investigations by the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office — he said.

Senate Agency (Reproduction authorized with citation from Senate Agency)

Source: Senate Agency

Edited by: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com