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

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

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

The disciplinary proceeding report analyzed possible financial and institutional inconsistencies committed during the former president’s tenure.

Attempted resignation and claim of denial of defense

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

The rapporteur in the case, Luiz Braga, also rejected the claim of denial of defense raised 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 dating 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 vote was based exclusively on the evidence gathered.

Million-real withdrawals and use of the club’s card

The main irregularities cited concern a lack of supporting documentation for financial transactions, a context that had already led to the rejection of the 2025 accounts. The opinion highlighted the identification of around R$ 7 million in withdrawals with no documented justification, origin, or destination.

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 expenses of a personal nature or lacking documentation. The exact amount will be determined through an administrative settlement 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 voted on 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.