Corinthians vice-president challenges prosecutor, seeks case dismissal | OneFootball

The defense team of Armando Mendonça, vice president of Corinthians, filed a motion alleging bias against prosecutor Cássio Conserino, of the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP-SP), who is responsible for the complaint that made the executive a defendant in the case involving the disappearance of sports equipment from the club’s storage facilities.

In the document submitted to the court, the lawyers request the prosecutor’s removal from the case, as well as the annulment of the complaint and the acts directly carried out by him during the pre-trial phase. The request also includes suspending the criminal proceedings until the matter is reviewed. The information was reported by Meu Timão.

Armando Mendonça, vice president of Corinthians. Photo: Reproduction.

In a statement sent to the press, the law firm Lima Goulart & Lagonegro, which represents Armando Mendonça, said the purpose of the measure is to ensure the impartiality required in the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s actions.

According to the defense, instruments such as a motion alleging bias are essential to ensure that the prosecution is conducted impartially, without any influence from personal, ideological, or emotional interests.

The representatives of Corinthians’ vice president claim there are concrete elements that cast doubt on the prosecutor’s impartiality, both in his conduct in the proceedings and in public statements related to the club. Among the arguments presented are social media posts, Conserino’s participation in events linked to Corinthians politics, and what the defense describes as an overt display of positions on internal Corinthians matters.

Another point raised by the lawyers concerns the conduct of the investigation. The defense argues that the prosecutor opened a parallel proceeding during the investigation of the case, with the aim of producing new evidence after the police inquiry had pointed toward closing the investigation.

In the law firm’s assessment, the procedure adopted has no legal basis and was conducted without the suspects being summoned to provide clarification about the facts under investigation.

The lawyers also say that the initiative does not represent an institutional challenge to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, but rather a measure aimed at preserving the principles that guide the agency’s actions.

The statement also emphasizes that the defense trusts the Judiciary and will use all available legal mechanisms to ensure the regularity of the criminal proceedings.

Case recap

Armando Mendonça became a defendant after the São Paulo courts accepted the complaint filed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office over the disappearance of sports equipment supplied by Nike and stored at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava and Parque São Jorge.

The Corinthians vice president is charged with aggravated and continued embezzlement, attempted aggravated embezzlement, aggravated theft through abuse of trust, and coercion in the course of proceedings.

Although it accepted the complaint, the court denied the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s requests to remove the executive from the club’s membership, bar his access to Corinthians facilities, or prohibit contact with other club officials, on the grounds that the necessary requirements for the requested precautionary measures were not present.

Armando Mendonça denies the accusations and is now seeking recognition of the prosecutor’s alleged bias, which could result in the case being reviewed by another member of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Corinthians News 

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