Andrés Sanchez asks to postpone hearing at Corinthians Ethics Committee | OneFootball

Former Corinthians president Andrés Sanchez has submitted a new petition to the club’s Ethics and Discipline Committee requesting the rescheduling of his hearing, which was set for this Monday (16th). The information was obtained by Central do Timão.

Last Tuesday (10th), the report had announced that the former executive would participate in a new hearing in a virtual session, a format adopted due to precautionary measures that prevent him from entering the club’s premises while investigations are ongoing. The hearing had been requested by the defense itself, aiming to allow Andrés to give a new statement and supplement the explanations he provided to the committee in December of last year.

Photo: Daniel Augusto Jr./Agência Corinthians

At the time, the lawyers also asked the Ethics Committee to wait for the full audit of the expenses incurred during the former president’s administration, which is currently being investigated by the Corinthians board, so that all expenses could be analyzed in the same process. The request, however, was denied.

Now, this Monday (16th), the defense filed a new motion requesting the rescheduling of the hearing. In the document, the lawyers ask that a new date be set only after a possible court authorization that eases or revokes the precautionary measures imposed on the former executive.

According to the petition, participating in the hearing, even by videoconference, could raise questions about a possible violation of the restrictions currently in place. In practice, the defense argues that the precautionary measures make it impossible for Andrés Sanchez to attend the event, which is why they are requesting a new date.

Contacted by the report, the president of the Ethics and Discipline Committee, Leonardo Pantaleão, confirmed that the hearing was rescheduled, but conditioned the setting of a new date on proof that the defense has already taken the matter to the courts to address the former president’s participation in the event.

Ruling gives 24-hour deadline for judicial proof and rejects new defense requests

In the ruling issued this Monday, the president of the Ethics Committee granted a non-extendable 24-hour deadline for Andrés Sanchez’s defense to prove that they have approached the Judiciary to clarify or obtain authorization for the former president’s participation in the hearing.

In the document, Pantaleão notes that the hearing had been regularly scheduled in advance and that the claim of inability to attend due to precautionary measures was only presented on the very day of the event. The ruling also highlights that the session was scheduled to be held virtually, which, in theory, would reduce any risk of contact with people covered by the court-imposed restrictions.

The Committee also noted that no copy of the court decision imposing the limitations mentioned by the defense was attached to the case, nor was there proof that a request had been made to the competent court to authorize participation in the hearing. For this reason, the defense was ordered to submit, within the set deadline, the petition filed in court or an equivalent document proving the action.

The ruling also rejected new requests made by the lawyers, such as access to additional media and a request to wait for a statement from the board regarding expenses made with the corporate card. According to the decision, all existing material has already been made available and the possible analysis of new documents is not a condition for the continuation of the proceedings, since the expenses under investigation are already defined in the disciplinary process.

Finally, the Ethics Committee stated that the proceedings will continue with respect for due process and the right to a full defense, but emphasized that no measures that could unjustifiably delay the progress of the internal investigation will be allowed.

The Ethics Committee is investigating 49 expenses recorded on the club’s corporate card between 2018 and 2020, totaling more than R$180,000. As part of the proceedings, Andrés Sanchez has been ordered to provide individualized explanations for each transaction, along with supporting documentation showing any institutional link for the expenses or possible reimbursement to the club’s coffers.

The former president was also charged by the Public Prosecutor’s Office with misappropriation of Corinthians’ funds, as well as money laundering and tax crimes. However, the last two charges were dismissed by the courts in a decision handed down last Wednesday (11th). The prosecutor in charge of the case has already filed an appeal against the decision.

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Corinthians News

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