Senator Jorge Kajuru, president of the CPI for the Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting in the Senate, revealed that his office received calls from representatives of the player Lucas Paquetá.
These contacts sought to file an invitation for the athlete to testify before the commission. The senator was categorical in stating that he did not agree to discuss the matter.
Last week, the commission approved an invitation for the West Ham player, who is being investigated by the English Football Federation (FA) for involvement in betting on the Premier League, to appear before the CPI.
As it is an invitation and not a summons, Paquetá has the option of ignoring the request.
Understand the case of Lucas Paquetá
The English Football Federation denounced Lucas Paquetá for alleged participation in a match-fixing scheme.
According to the indictment, he forced yellow cards in specific games, favoring sports betting and compromising the integrity of the sport.
The vice-president of the commission, senator Eduardo Girão, highlighted in his application that Paquetá forced yellow cards in four matches between November 2022 and August 2023.
Girão highlighted that the investigation into Paquetá began in August last year, but the formal complaint had not yet taken place.
Based on this, Senator Jorge Kajuru presented a request (REQ 71/2024) to invite Paquetá to testify at the commission. However, due to his participation in the Copa América in the United States, his immediate presence at the CPI is uncertain.
The CPI on Gambling and Sports Betting Manipulation aims to investigate illicit practices that threaten transparency and justice in sport. The commission considers it essential to hear the player due to the seriousness of the accusations.
Finally, Senator Eduardo Girão reinforced the importance of listening to all parties involved to clarify the facts. “We need clean football, where the result is decided on the field and not off it”, emphasized the senator.
