The former president of the National Association of Gambling and Lotteries, Wesley Cardia, will be heard by the betting CPI on Tuesday (6). Cardia must provide clarifications on an alleged request for a financial advantage made to the association in exchange for protection in the Sports Betting CPI of the Chamber of Deputies.
Context of the request made by CPI das Apostas
The vice-president of the collegiate, senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE), made the request (REQ 27/2024 — CPIMJAE). He mentioned a report from Veja magazine, from September 2023, which highlighted a warning made by the former special advisor to the Ministry of Treasury, José Francisco Manssur, to minister Fernando Haddad.
Manssur reported a charge of R$35 million, attributed to deputy Felipe Carreras (PSB-PE), CPI rapporteur in the Chamber, directed to the National Association of Games and Lotteries.
In testimony to the CPI, on July 2, José Francisco Manssur confirmed that he received Cardia in his office and heard the report about the request for a financial advantage. However, Manssur was unable to confirm the veracity of the information.
Anderson Ibrahim, representative of the company Air Golden and former football manager at Clube Atlético Patrocinense (MG), will also give testimony to the CPI.
He is expected to clarify the suspicion of manipulation in the match in which Patrocinense lost 3-0 to Inter de Limeira in Series D of the Brazilian Championship, on June 1st. The Federal Police are investigating the match based on suspicious movements in betting shops.
Absence and summons to a CPI das Apostas meeting
Ibrahim did not attend the CPI meeting on July 10 for family reasons, when a confrontation with the president of Patrocinense, Roberto Avatar, was scheduled. He expressed surprise at the result of the match, but stated that only the investigation could prove irregularities.
After his absence, the CPI approved a request (REQ 94/2024 — CPIMJAE) summoning Ibrahim. The president of the CPI, senator Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO), emphasized the importance of Ibrahim’s testimony to clarify the circumstances and responsibilities involved, significantly contributing to the progress of the investigations.
CPI requirements and other requirements
Before the hearings, the CPI must vote on six requests. Among them is the summons of Camila Silva da Motta, investigated in Operation Maximum Penalty of the Public Ministry of Goiás for manipulating sports betting.
Furthermore, the commission’s rapporteur, Senator Romário (PL-RJ), highlighted the investigation. This investigation identified Camila’s husband, Bruno Lopez de Moura, as the leader of the criminal organization. Furthermore, he appointed Camila as a member of the scheme’s administrative core.
The CPI will also examine matches held on July 11 between Flamengo and Fortaleza and between São Paulo and Atlético Mineiro, with three related requirements. Senator Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ) requested information from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) about these games.
Eduardo Girão proposed an invitation to Péricles Bassols, a member of the CBF VAR team, for clarification on the arbitration criteria. Finally, Portinho also presented requests for clarification to the company Sportradar.
Furthermore, he requested information from the Superior Court of Sports Justice for Football (STJD), together with the CBF Competitions Department. These requirements deal with alerts of suspected match manipulation in games that took place between 2017 and 2021.
