Corinthians ethics body drops case against audit chief; rapporteur urges | OneFootball

Corinthians’ Ethics Committee (CE) dismissed the disciplinary case brought against Haroldo Dantas, president of the club’s Fiscal Council. The decision was signed on August 28. As a result, the measure ends the investigation into alleged conflicts of interest and the possible lack of impartiality in the conduct of the club official in question, since he is close to Osmar Stabile, president of the executive board.

The information was first reported by the Meu Timão portal. The outlet obtained full access to the document requesting the closure of the investigation. In it, the case rapporteur, Claudia Carlos de Oliveira, states that there is no concrete evidence of wrongdoing or any provision in the club’s internal regulations to impose punishment on the council member based on the accusations originally presented.

Photo: José Manoel Idalgo/Agência Corinthians

The investigation began on March 31 and was prompted by allegations that Haroldo Dantas acted as a lawyer for companies owned by Corinthians president Osmar Stabile. The complaint that triggered the opening of the disciplinary case argued that this professional relationship, combined with a friendship between the parties and a public political alignment, could compromise Dantas’ independence as head of the Fiscal Council (CF).

During the investigation, on April 9, an injunction temporarily removed Haroldo Dantas through a unilateral decision. However, the other representatives of the Fiscal Council took the case to the Guidance Council (CORI), which replied that the club’s bylaws did not provide for a single member of the Ethics Committee (CE) to order this type of precautionary suspension, stressing that the committee is a collegial body.

The case also had external developments, as a Criminal Investigative Procedure was opened by the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP-SP), which examined Haroldo Dantas’ participation in the meeting that approved the club’s 2025 accounts. However, in May of this year, prosecutors closed the case, rejecting the possibility of false statements, while emphasizing the existence of ambiguity in the institution’s internal regulations on this issue.

In the final opinion, the case rapporteur states that the Corinthians bylaws do not clearly provide for any automatic prohibition or loss of office due to a council member providing legal services to companies belonging to other board representatives, nor because of friendship or political alignment. Claudia also notes in the document that, in the past, a similar case was dismissed by the Ethics Committee.

In addition, the official responsible for the final opinion says there is no material evidence that Haroldo Dantas benefited board members, received specific benefits, altered audits, or caused institutional or financial harm to Corinthians. She also stresses that issues that may raise moral or governance debates do not become disciplinary violations without a precise legal definition and without evidence.

In the final part of the decision, the council member makes a recommendation to the president of the Deliberative Council (CD). She suggests that Corinthians improve its internal regulations to create clearer rules on conflicts of interest, disclosure of professional relationships, and procedures for precautionary measures in the future.

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