Unanimous! São Paulo ethics panel seeks Julio Casares expulsion | OneFootball

São Paulo’s Ethics Committee unanimously recommended the expulsion of former president Julio Casares from the club’s membership.

The unanimous opinion, with five votes in favor, found the complaint against the former executive to be valid, classifying his administrative actions as “irregular or reckless management,” with potential material and non-material harm to the club’s assets, in a document signed this Monday (24).

The disciplinary proceedings report examined possible financial and institutional irregularities committed during the former president’s term.

Attempted resignation and claim of denial of defense

In the document, the committee rejected the request submitted by Casares on July 29 — the eve of his evidentiary hearing — in which he asked to voluntarily withdraw from the membership. The body based its decision on the club’s Bylaws, which prevent the approval of resignation requests while disciplinary proceedings are underway.

The case rapporteur, Luiz Braga, also rejected the claim of denial of defense presented by Casares’s lawyers. The opinion emphasized that the defense had broad access to the case file, submitted motions, and received extensive documentation. Defense requests for accounting records going back as far as 20 years were denied for exceeding the scope of the investigation.

Casares did not attend the hearing scheduled for July 30, submitting a new request to close the case minutes before the session. The committee stressed that his absence did not imply an automatic confession, and that the decision was based exclusively on the evidence gathered.

Million-real withdrawals and use of the club card

The main irregularities cited relate to a lack of supporting documentation for financial transactions, a context that had already led to the rejection of the 2025 financial statements. The opinion highlighted the identification of around R$ 7 million in withdrawals without justification, origin, or destination documented.

In addition to the withdrawals, the committee identified expenses charged to the presidency’s corporate card at establishments and for purposes unrelated to São Paulo’s institutional activities.

Reimbursement and proceedings in the Council

In addition to expulsion, the body also recommended that the former president be required to fully reimburse the club for personal expenses or those lacking documentation. The exact amount will be determined through an administrative assessment by the Finance Department and submitted for validation by the Fiscal Council.

For Julio Casares’s expulsion to take effect, the Ethics Committee’s recommendation must be put to a vote by São Paulo’s Deliberative Council, requiring approval by two-thirds of the council members.

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