In testimony to the CPI for the Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting, former football referee Manoel Serapião Filho stated that he does not believe in the involvement of judges or directors of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in manipulation of results.
The meeting was chaired by senator Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO) and was attended by senators Romário (PL-RJ) and Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ).
Manoel Serapião highlighted that he does not see the possibility of manipulation among Brazilian referees or CBF directors. He said that if there were any irregularities it would be a “big disappointment and a big surprise“, but he believed that only one “black sheep” could be involved, without affecting the entire group.
Serapião, former FIFA referee and one of the creators of VAR (video assistant referee), highlighted that the quality of VAR in Brazil is still not ideal. However, he believes that technology has brought more security when correcting errors and distortions in difficult shots.
Role of the integrity officer against game fixing
Rômulo Meira Reis, former CBF VAR integrity officer, explained that his technical role involved analyzing suspected fraud in the sports betting market.
Between 2017 and 2022, he analyzed more than 200 alerts of possible game manipulation. This role, created by a FIFA directive, requires each member association, such as the CBF.
Therefore, designate someone to check for irregularities between what happens on the field and in the betting market. Reis highlighted that the boom in advertising from betting houses is similar to what has occurred with automakers and large media outlets in the past.
At the beginning of the meeting, Senator Kajuru reported that William Pereira Rogatto, called to testify, did not appear. Investigated by the Public Ministry and the Federal Police, Rogatto is suspected of participating in the manipulation of football games since 2020.
He would be operating clandestinely, co-opting players, selling fixed results and placing fraudulent bets.
Approved measures
The CPI approved requests to break the banking, tax, telephone and telematic secrecy of Bruno Lopez de Moura and Camila Silva da Motta, partners of the company BC Sports Management Ltda. The investigation revealed that this company had transferred financial resources to the sports betting manipulation scheme.
Finally, the auditor of the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD), Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva, was invited to testify at the CPI after considering the accusations of result manipulation made by the owner of Botafogo, John Textor, to be unfounded.
The CPI also requested the STJD to share documents and information about the investigation into possible manipulation of results in the 2023 Brazilian Championship.
