The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino, asked the Federal Police to open an investigation to investigate the match-fixing in sports competitions. The action was taken, this Wednesday, the 10th, after the disclosure that athletes from clubs in the main divisions of Brazilian football were being considered suspected of acting in conjunction with gangs that carried out sports betting.
Flávio Dino claimed to act on evidence of manipulation in sports competitions, with interstate and even international repercussions. “I am determining today that an Inquiry be opened at the Federal Police for the legally applicable investigations”, said the minister. Some football clubs, in turn, decided to remove athletes who would be under investigation.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) related to recent information on the manipulation of results in football, assuring that it has taken measures to curb and punish the practice of such illicit acts.
According to the entity that organizes football in the country, however, it does not have police power and, therefore, considers it crucial to cooperate with public authorities to seek the general prevention and punishment of these infractions. And it suggests to the minister that, in compliance with the Federal Constitution, the Code of Criminal Procedure and other laws governing the matter, a task force/authority be designated so that it can centralize and control investigations for the good of the public interest.
Operation Penalty Maximum investigates match-fixing in Série A of the Brasileirão
The CBF told the minister that it became aware, informally, through the press, that the Civil Police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in several states have been initiating investigations to investigate the possible practice of manipulation of game situations in Brazilian football, among which a recurring example in the media is the so-called “Maximum Penalty Operation”.
The Confederation, responsible for organizing national championships and also for managing Brazilian football, says it has a direct interest in investigating and punishing those involved in this type of crime.
“It is in the direct interest of the Federal Constitution that the Federal Police investigate infractions whose practice has interstate or international repercussions and requires uniform repression, even though some of the crimes possibly committed as a result of match-fixing fall under state competence,” says the official letter sent by the CBF. to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
In addition, the CBF made itself entirely available to pass on what was considered to be of public interest so that the investigations reach a successful conclusion, committing to grant access to all documents and data that the authority deems relevant.
