Bruno Lopez de Moura, the whistleblower of Operation Maximum Penalty, informed the Public Ministry about an alleged scheme involving Lucas Paquetá. According to Moura, Paquetá would have promised a “birthday gift” to his brother, Matheus Paquetá, in the context of a West Ham game in the Premier League in 2023.
This allegation is in the final report presented by Senator Romário (PL-RJ) to the CPI for the Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting. Therefore, the revelations indicate that the Brazilian player may have arranged moves with bettors, even with his family.
Game of ‘gift’ and Lucas Paquetá’s family involvement
The match in question was West Ham against Aston Villa, which took place on March 12, 2023. Coincidentally, on Matheus Paquetá’s 28th birthday, he received a yellow card 25 minutes into the second half.
The report recommends the indictment of Bruno Tolentino, Paquetá’s uncle. Based on confidential data, Tolentino sent 97,000 reais in five payments to Marlon Bruno Nascimento da Silva, who informed Moura about the “gift”.
Silva said he knew that Luiz Henrique, then a Real Betis striker, would receive a yellow card in a Spanish League game that same day. And, in fact, Luiz Henrique received a yellow card, 44 minutes into the second half, in the match against Villarreal, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Bet with internal information and ongoing investigations
Moura declared to the CPI that he used Silva’s information to bet on the two matches mentioned. Another relevant point in the report is the record of a transfer of 30,000 reais made by Tolentino via Pix to Luiz Henrique, dated February 6, 2023, associated with suspicions of manipulation.
In short, Lucas Paquetá is being investigated by the English Football Federation (FA) and is scheduled to go to trial in March. Luiz Henrique was traded from Botafogo to Zenit, from Russia, for around 30 million euros, at the beginning of this year.
Betting CPI meeting is canceled
However, the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on the Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting canceled the meeting scheduled for last Tuesday (11). The rapporteur, Senator Romário (PL-RJ), planned to present the report, but the committee members still need to set a new date.
The meeting’s agenda contained a request, REQ 178/2025, asking the Federal Police for information about the transfer of businessman William Pereira Rogatto.
Detained in Dubai since November, Rogatto is known as the “relegation king” and faces accusations of match fixing. Thus, senator Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ), author of the request, seeks to know when the businessman will arrive in Brazil.
Finally, the CPI, established in April 2024, investigates allegations of manipulation in Brazilian football involving players, managers and betting companies. The commission is chaired by senator Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO).
