São Paulo Vice Mayor Calls for Investigation Into R$ 21 Million Sports Event Contract Irregularities
São Paulo vice-mayor Ricardo Mello Araújo requested a formal investigation on Tuesday, November 10, into alleged irregularities involving R$ 21.28 million in municipal contracts for the 2026 Virada Esportiva festival.
The vice-mayor, who serves as a colonel, submitted a representation to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of São Paulo regarding potential embezzlement and overpricing in partnerships managed by the Municipal Secretariat of Sports and Leisure.
Mello Araújo, a member of the Liberal Party (PL), submitted the representational document to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of São Paulo, as reported by Estadão.
Mello Araújo, who was imposed by former president Jair Bolsonaro as a condition for supporting the 2024 reelection of Ricardo Nunes, also announced he would forward the documentation to the municipal Comptroller General and the mayor himself. In a video released on social media, the vice-mayor characterized the situation as a “denúncia gravíssima envolvendo desvio de mais de R$ 21 milhões.”
Field checks reveal missing events and shell addresses
The vice-mayor’s office conducted independent inspections between October 6 and November 4, visiting the registered addresses of 15 of the 22 civil society organizations (OSCs) contracted for the event. O gabinete do vice-prefeito Mello Araújo apontou que 12 organizações não foram localizadas nos endereços informados em seus cadastros junto à Prefeitura.
According to documents, these 12 entities were linked to R$ 15.78 million in received or expected funds, representing approximately 74% of the R$ 21.28 million allocated for the partnerships. Among the entities cited is the Instituto Movimento ao Esporte Lazer e Cultura (IMELC), contracted for R$ 5.39 million to manage, coordinate, organize, produce, and execute the event. In some instances, the reported headquarters were identified as private residences, a body shop, or a spiritual center.
Em 19 de setembro, primeiro dia da Virada Esportiva, um integrante do gabinete do vice-prefeito visitou seis locais onde atividades esportivas estavam programadas. Revista Fórum noticiou que uma das entidades listou um ginásio da Prefeitura de São Caetano do Sul como sua sede.
During these visits, the team found no structures, teams, equipment, signage, or public linked to the announced attractions. The documents also question the allocation of resources for the Associação Filantrópica e Cultural Veredas, which received R$ 247.7 thousand for an activity associated with the private Medieval Experience festival, held at the Modelódromo do Ibirapuera on September 19 and 20.
Mello Araújo highlighted specific discrepancies in cost, noting that one organization received R$ 1.67 million to provide kayaking services at the Guarapiranga Reservoir. He stated that a private assessment found the cost for such equipment rentals to be significantly lower than the public funds allocated for the service.
“Se a gente colocar 100 caiaques, que é muita coisa, rodando por hora, durante as oito horas, a gente chegaria a R$ 48 mil,” Mello Araújo told the radio station Z 96,5 FM.
Mello Araújo reports friction within the administration
The administration, which did not respond to requests for comment before publication, manages a Secretariat currently led by Érika Coimbra.
The political friction follows Mello Araújo being passed over by the PL for a 2026 Senate run in favor of André do Prado, a decision he attributed to the preferences of leaders such as Tarcísio de Freitas and Valdemar Costa Neto. “O prefeito não consegue enxergar tudo isso, mas toda vez que eu detecto alguma coisa eu encaminho formalmente,” Mello Araújo declared.
“Eu não tenho preocupação em permanecer na política. Eu tenho a preocupação de que, enquanto eu estiver na política, eu faça a diferença. É isso que o povo espera da gente,” Mello Araújo stated, according to BNews.