Public prosecutor opens inquiry into possible court action at Corinthians

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Gazeta Esportiva.com

·5 December 2025

Public prosecutor opens inquiry into possible court action at Corinthians

The Public and Social Heritage Prosecutor's Office of the São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office (MP-SP) initiated a civil inquiry this Friday to investigate a request for judicial intervention in Corinthians. The information was initially published by ge and confirmed by Gazeta Esportiva.

The initiative responds to a request made by prosecutor Cassio Roberto Conserino, responsible for investigations related to the use of corporate cards by former club officials. The inquiry will be conducted by the MP and may involve actions such as requesting documents, testimonies, and expert analyses. There is a possibility that the case could evolve into a public civil action.

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In his request, Conserino listed 25 arguments that would justify the initiation of a civil inquiry or a public action aiming for judicial intervention in the club. The intervention cannot be initiated by the prosecutor himself, who operates in the criminal sphere.

See the reasons:

Reports from external auditors pointing out irregularities;
Corinthians is a cultural heritage, whose protection is under the jurisdiction of the Public Prosecutor's Office;
Complaint filed and accepted against former president Augusto Melo, among others, for criminal association and money laundering;
Complaint filed against former president Andres Sanches and then financial manager of the current management, Roberto Gavioli, for misappropriation and money laundering;
Ongoing investigations against other former presidents;
Investigation at the Police Station for the Repression of Sports Intolerance Rights regarding a large diversion of sports material by current management officials;
Inoperative compliance system;
The signing by the former president and the financial manager, who also acts in the current management, of confessions of debts then extinguished by prescription;
Non-compliance and non-approval of the Centralized Execution Regime, including contracts harmful to the club;
Judicial intervention request filed by a creditor in the Centralized Execution Regime proceedings;
Reckless management by taking on the third largest payroll in the country;
Allegedly fake invoices issued by Oliveira Minimercado, cited as a shell company, with Corinthians as its sole client, whose amounts came from the club's coffers;
Police reports informing of document suppression from within the club;
Indications of organized crime presence substantiated by the payment of commissions from VAIDEBET to a company allegedly linked to organized crime;
Professional athletes housed in an apartment owned by “Alemão” (José Carlos Gonçalves), an alleged member of a criminal organization;
Gas stations allegedly linked to organized crime licensed with the Corinthians brand;
Payment receipt by Corinthians to a former parliamentary advisor of former president André Sanchez, under ministerial investigation, linked to a criminal faction involving the use of urban transport cooperatives in São Paulo;
Non-compliance with the statute for the impeachment of Augusto Melo, with the delivery of the current Deliberative Council's minutes withheld, despite a court order;
Use of corporate card by former officials, even after the end of their terms;
Unpayable debt, according to reports from independent external professionals;
Witness threat perpetrated by an investigated individual in the case of sports material diversion, then a member of the current management;
FIFA Transferban involving millions due to non-payment of athletes;
Acts that may characterize reckless management within the sports entity;
Institutional disorganization of financial management, with omission of deliberative and control bodies;
Dozens of other possible irregularities involving dubious contracts, TV Corinthians, hiring of youth players, brand licensing with insignificant royalties to the club, contracts with onerous clauses, relationships with shell or phantom companies under investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office.

(Photo: José Manoel Idalgo/Agência Corinthians)

The civil prosecutor who accepted the request, Luiz Ambra Neto, justified that the indications of “civil and criminal offenses” increase the urgency of the investigation, citing the deterioration of Corinthians' image and financial health. He ordered confidentiality on the proceedings as a protective measure for the investigation.

What could happen to Corinthians?

If the court considers the request valid, it may decree judicial intervention in the administration of Corinthians and appoint a provisional administrator. This administrator would have the following powers: assume the presidency and administrative acts of the club, suspend decisions or contracts, conduct internal audits, reorganize the administrative structure, and even call new elections if necessary.

The administrator, appointed by the court, would operate under the supervision of the Judiciary and would have to present periodic reports. The measure would remain in effect until the judge deems that the irregularities have been resolved and that the club can resume its regular management.

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