Andrés Sanchez declines Ethics Committee hearing in Corinthians corporate card probe | OneFootball

Andrés Sanchez has opted not to attend a hearing before Corinthians’ Comissão de Ética e Disciplina on Thursday, part of the club’s internal investigation into alleged irregular spending on the corporate card during his 2018 to 2020 presidency. According to Gazeta Esportiva, the former president informed the body he would not appear.

Without his testimony, the commission has granted five working days from next Monday for Sanchez’s defence to submit final remarks. With the Good Friday holiday, the deadline falls on 6 April, after which the panel will meet to deliver its opinion.

The case will then go to Romeu Tuma Júnior, president of the Conselho Deliberativo, along with the report from the commission led by Leonardo Pantaleão. Tuma may put the matter to a plenary vote, which could result in acquittal, a written warning, suspension or expulsion.

Tuma Júnior was provisionally removed from the council presidency on Monday, though he does not recognise the move’s legality and says he remains in post, a status still shown on the club’s official website.

Sanchez’s lawyers had already sought a postponement on 16 March, arguing that even a virtual session could breach court-imposed restrictions following a complaint from the Ministério Público de São Paulo that was accepted by the São Paulo courts. Those measures include a ban on contact with current club officials and his removal from the Conselho de Orientação. The same reasoning was sent to Pantaleão on Thursday.

The hearing had been scheduled at the defence’s request, since appearances are optional. Sanchez’s earlier deposition to the Comissão de Justiça remains the primary record in the case.

In recent weeks, the Ethics Commission reviewed full statements and flagged about 50 atypical expenses totalling more than R$ 180,000, requesting explanations and any reimbursement proofs. The Justiça Commission had heard former staff and assessed the spending, and its members understand there is no evidence the outlays benefited the club or were necessary for the role.

The internal process began in August 2025, with Sanchez testifying to the Justiça Commission in December. The Ethics case opened in January 2026, the hearing was set for 16 March, then postponed, before Thursday’s decision not to attend.

Source: Meu Timao