Armando Mendonça to stand trial over alleged Corinthians kit scam | OneFootball

The São Paulo courts accepted the complaint filed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office against Corinthians vice-president Armando Mendonça and ordered criminal proceedings to be opened to investigate alleged crimes of embezzlement, attempted embezzlement, qualified theft through abuse of trust, and coercion during the course of proceedings.

The decision was signed this Tuesday (23) by Judge Amanda Eiko Sato of the 25th Criminal Court of Barra Funda. Central do Timão had access to the full document, in which the judge details the elements that supported the acceptance of the complaint, analyzes the requests made by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the defense, and rejects the adoption of precautionary measures against the official at this stage of the proceedings.

Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

At the very beginning of the decision, the judge summarizes the accusations brought by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to the complaint, Armando Mendonça, taking advantage of his position as the club’s vice-president, allegedly appropriated 131 Nike sportswear items belonging to Corinthians, including 100 jerseys, nine sweatshirts, nine pairs of pants, six pairs of sneakers, four pairs of shorts, two bags, and one backpack.

The complaint also states that the official allegedly tried to appropriate another 19 NFL jerseys left over from an event held at Neo Química Arena, failing to complete the act due to circumstances beyond his control.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office also points to the alleged taking of eight NFL jerseys through abuse of trust and the practice of coercion during the course of proceedings by sending extrajudicial notices to witnesses who took part in the investigation.

Internal audit used as the basis of the accusation

Next, the judge reproduces excerpts from the complaint describing the origin of the investigation. According to the charging document, Corinthians president Osmar Stabile instructed the Technology Department to carry out an internal audit to verify the flow of Nike sportswear entering and leaving the club’s warehouses.

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the audit found that Armando had unrestricted access and control over the sports equipment stored both at Parque São Jorge and at the Dr. Joaquim Grava Training Center.

The decision also notes that the investigation identified several internal requests for the removal of sportswear linked to the vice-president. According to the accusation, these requests show that the products were requested, released, and collected by Armando Mendonça.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office understands that the former official converted possession of the materials into ownership, giving them whatever destination he deemed appropriate, whether for his own use or for third parties, in violation of the club’s internal rules and bylaws.

The judge also highlights excerpts from the internal audit report attached to the case file. According to the document, between June 6 and October 30, 2025, Corinthians’ system records showed the withdrawal of 131 sports items by Armando Mendonça.

The report stresses that this number does not include jerseys withdrawn for relationship-building activities on match days. The audit also states that the club’s internal system recorded the vice-president as having received the materials, identifying him as responsible for the withdrawals found during the inquiry.

NFL jerseys appear in two separate episodes

Another issue addressed by the judge concerns the NFL jerseys related to the event held at Neo Química Arena in August 2025.

As reproduced in the decision, the audit found a bag containing game jerseys and a printed request during an inspection carried out in the training center warehouse. Employees reportedly told the auditors that the items had been set aside for pickup by Armando Mendonça.

The report specifically mentions 19 jerseys left over from the Corinthians vs. Palmeiras match held on August 31, 2025. According to the complaint, the request was allegedly canceled after the audit work began.

In addition to this episode, the accusation claims that another eight NFL jerseys were allegedly removed without the formal process required by the club’s internal system. The Public Prosecutor’s Office attributes authorship of the alleged taking to the vice-president and claims that the conduct was facilitated by the position he held in the board.

Accusation points to attempted intimidation of witnesses

The decision also addresses the accusation of coercion during the course of proceedings. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Marcelo Munhoes, Corinthians’ Technology Director, and Reginaldo Prados do Nascimento, both linked to the internal audit, received extrajudicial notices after giving statements to the Civil Police.

The complaint reports that one of the statements was given on November 4, 2025, and that a few days later, the person responsible for the audit received an extrajudicial notice questioning the validity of the work carried out, demanding full access to the evidence, preservation of the evidence, and a public retraction regarding Armando Mendonça.

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the measure caused fear and psychological pressure on those involved, with the aim of influencing the course of the investigation.

The judge also mentions another section of Corinthians’ internal report describing alleged interference during the audit. According to the document reproduced in the decision, the auditors recorded occurrences considered inappropriate, characterized by pressure and attempts to interfere with the technical independence of the work.

The report also states that Armando Mendonça held conversations with Marcelo Munhoes showing concern about the progress of the audit. At certain moments, according to the text, the conversations took on a more forceful tone, with aggressive expressions and references interpreted by the auditors as threats.

Judge sees sufficient evidence and accepts the complaint

After analyzing the set of documents gathered in the police investigation, including the internal audit, the club’s administrative file, the Civil Police’s final report, and the additional investigative steps carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the judge concluded that there are sufficient elements for the criminal case to proceed.

The judge stated that the elements produced during the investigative phase show the existence of proof of materiality and indications of authorship of the offenses described in the complaint and, for that reason, ordered that Armando Mendonça be served notice to submit a response to the accusation within the legal ten-day period.

“The evidentiary elements provided by the police investigation show the minimum evidentiary basis indispensable for the initiation of criminal proceedings,” she wrote.

Defense’s prior submission remains in the case file

The judge also analyzed a petition filed by the defense before the complaint was accepted, and rejected the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s request to remove the document from the case file.

According to her, although there is no legal provision for the formal hearing of the investigated party before the complaint is accepted, there is also no obstacle to the accused submitting a spontaneous statement before the admissibility review of the accusation is carried out.

The decision also highlights that Armando appeared in the case on his own initiative and stated that the removal of a petition signed by duly appointed lawyers has no legal basis.

Court rejects precautionary measures requested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office

The judge then moved on to analyze the precautionary requests made by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The first was the temporary suspension of Armando Mendonça from Corinthians. The request was deemed moot because the accused had already voluntarily stepped down from the position. The judge also denied the request to prevent the official from entering the club’s premises.

Although she acknowledged the existence of indications related to the crime of coercion during the course of proceedings, the judge stated that there are no concrete elements showing that Armando currently exerts influence over witnesses or collaborators.

On the same grounds, the request to bar contact with Corinthians officials was rejected.

Requests for periodic court appearances, a ban on leaving the district, and nighttime house arrest were also denied. According to the judge, the measures do not meet the criteria of necessity, usefulness, and proportionality required by law.

The decision also addresses requests by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the production of expert evidence and states that evidence intended to support the accusation must be produced during the investigative phase, before the complaint is filed.

The judge added that any expert examination of internal systems should have been submitted to the Court of Guarantees during the investigation.

Regarding the calculation of the value of the materials allegedly misappropriated, the judge observed that the liquidation of the damage actually suffered is a matter within the jurisdiction of the civil courts, which is why she rejected the expert requests made by the prosecution.

Other requests analyzed

The judge also denied a request to issue an official letter to the Federal Revenue Service, understanding that the measure can be taken directly by the Public Prosecutor’s Office without the need for judicial intervention.

The decision also records the disagreement already expressed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding a possible joinder by Corinthians as assistant prosecutor in the case.

Finally, Amanda Eiko Sato rejected the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s request that the president of the Deliberative Council replace Osmar Stabile as the victim’s representative in the case. According to the judge, the office of president is not vacant and, therefore, he remains Corinthians’ legal representative.

Armando Mendonça says he will prove his innocence during the proceedings

Contacted by Central do Timão, Armando Mendonça commented on the court decision through a statement. The vice-president said he received the news calmly and described the accusation as “unjust, unfounded, and based on mistaken assumptions.”

According to him, the opening of criminal proceedings will represent the opportunity to demonstrate, through technical and documentary evidence, that he did not misappropriate Corinthians materials and did not obtain any personal benefit to the detriment of the club. Finally, the official said he trusts the courts.

Read the full statement:

No one receives naturally the news that they are now facing criminal charges, especially when they are fully convinced that it is an unjust, unfounded accusation based on mistaken assumptions.

I face this moment with calm, firmness, and confidence. This will be the opportunity to finally demonstrate, in a technical and documentary manner, that I never misappropriated 131 materials from Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, never appropriated any asset, and never obtained any personal benefit to the detriment of the club.

It is important to clarify that, up to this point, there has been no definitive analysis of the merits of the facts. The existence of an accusation does not mean acknowledgment of guilt or validation of the mistaken conclusions that gave rise to it.

Sport Club Corinthians Paulista itself has already taken a position on the case, rejecting unfounded accusations and making it clear that the internal document used as the basis for the complaint never concluded that there had been any misappropriation, appropriation, or any unlawful conduct on my part.

I respect the institutions, I respect the process, and I trust the courts. My defense will be carried out in the proper forum, with responsibility, calm, and an absolute commitment to the truth.

Corinthians News

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.