Senators from the CPI for Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting intend to give priority to the testimony of the Brazilian national team midfielder, Lucas Paquetá, after businessman William Pereira Rogatto’s speech to the collegiate last Tuesday (8).
The members of the commission will meet this Wednesday (9) to discuss a new direction for the investigation.
One of the alternatives is to go to Paquetá’s hearing, who is one of the main Brazilian players involved in result manipulation investigations involving bookmakers.
The West Ham player from England was indicted in May by The Football Association for forcing him to receive yellow cards in four games in the Premier League, the first division of the English Championship.
He already has two invitation requests to provide clarifications to the CPI approved by the senators, but the date has not yet been scheduled. The expectation is to move forward with defining the date this Wednesday. As this is not a summons, Paquetá is not obliged to attend.
Another request, this time to hear Botafogo striker Luiz Henrique, who along with Paquetá was called up for the World Cup qualifiers by the Brazilian team, was removed from the agenda before last Tuesday’s meeting (8).
The withdrawal was an action by the president of the CPI himself, senator Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO). The Goiás parliamentarian’s justification indicates a change in the commission’s direction:
“Now, we think there is no reason to call up Luiz Henrique. First, we have to call up (Lucas) Paquetá. Even more so after what we heard from the businessman yesterday. So, after we hear Paquetá, then, yes, depending on what he says, we can think about Luiz Henrique”, he told CNN.
Kajuru refers to businessman William Pereira Rogatto, who admitted that he has already profited 300 million reais from manipulating results. He is being investigated in Operation End of Game, by the Public Ministry of the Federal District and Territories (MPDFT), and in Operation Play Rehearsed, conducted by the Federal Police.
The businessman explained – at the CPI – that he paid players hired by him to manipulate matches. The investigations have already identified the businessman’s manipulation scheme in the states of São Paulo, Sergipe and the Federal District. Even without providing clear evidence, sources consulted by the CNN indicate that the businessman’s testimony brought impetus to the CPI.
Kajuru himself wanted to know the businessman’s view on the Paquetá case. Despite stating that he has no connection with the West Ham player, Rogatto explained the difference between his case and the player’s.
“Paquetá was a case that, unfortunately, he condemned himself, right? We have to be very transparent here. In my time, players depended on me. I was a businessman who paid athletes when the clubs didn’t pay. Today, a Paquetá case… he took the cards himself”, he declared.
Deolane Bezerra
The CPI should define, during the afternoon of this Wednesday (09), the date to hear the influencer Deolane Bezerra, the target of a Federal Police operation to investigate crimes of money laundering and illegal gambling.
The request has already been approved by parliamentarians and, as it is a summons, she is obliged to attend unless supported by some court decision.
Deolane should also be the target of requirements at the BETs CPI, which was authorized by the Senate and should be installed by the end of the month.
