Bruno Henrique’s legal setback in betting probe | OneFootball

Flamengo forward Bruno Henrique will continue to face criminal proceedings in the Federal District after a request to annul the investigation against him was rejected by Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice, according to Globo.

Henrique’s legal team had argued that the Federal District court was not the appropriate venue for his case, insisting the matter should be handled by the Federal Judiciary. On that basis, the defence called for all judicial acts taken so far to be invalidated. Justice Paciornik denied the petition, stating that a habeas corpus was not an appropriate remedy for contesting the court’s jurisdiction in this instance.

The case originates from an incident during Flamengo’s fixture against Santos in Brasília last November. Prosecutors allege that Henrique informed his brother, Wander Nunes Pinto, in advance that he intended to pick up a yellow card—aware he was one caution away from suspension. After the match, betting agencies noticed a suspicious spike in the volume of bets predicting a yellow card for Henrique, many of them tied to accounts linked to his brother, his brother’s wife, extended family, and friends.

These betting patterns triggered an investigation by the Federal Police, launched in August 2023. In November, authorities carried out search and seizure operations targeting Henrique and other suspects. Later, police investigators extracted messages from Wander’s phone, which contributed to the indictment of all involved in April.

The Public Ministry formally charged Bruno Henrique, his brother Wander, and seven others in June. Henrique has consistently denied any wrongdoing and rejects claims that he deliberately sought a booking to influence betting outcomes or benefit those placing wagers.

With the latest decision from the Superior Court of Justice, proceedings in the Federal District’s criminal court will continue, and Henrique remains under formal investigation as the judicial review unfolds. The case has yet to reach the trial stage, and no timeline has been given for its resolution.

(Source: Globo)

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