Bruno Henrique faces criminal charges in Brasília after escaping punishment from the STJD for sports manipulation.
Flamengo striker Bruno Henrique is now focusing his defense efforts on the case taking place in the ordinary courts. The legal action is taking place in the Federal District this Monday (17). The player is being sued for sports manipulation, based on article 200 of the General Sports Law, after having avoided a more severe punishment in the sporting sphere.
The criminal case against the Flamengo player is currently in the appeals phase at the second instance court. The current discussion focuses on the legal classification that will be applied to the player.
The Public Prosecutor's Office of the Federal District (MPDF) is attempting to prosecute Bruno Henrique not only for sports manipulation, but also for fraud. This attempt has been rejected twice by the judge of first instance.
To expedite the case, the judge himself forwarded the decision to the higher court. There is an expectation that the judgment on this specific issue will take place sometime in 2025.
The process began in 2025 and is still ongoing in the Federal District. The definition of the legal classification will determine the player's future in the criminal sphere, since the charge of fraud carries more severe penalties compared to that of sports manipulation.
The law establishes penalties for sports manipulation ranging from 2 to 6 years of imprisonment, in addition to a fine. The additional charge of fraud could result in more serious legal consequences for the athlete.
One “technical” aspect was decisive in allowing the accusation against the Flamengo player to be accepted without being classified as fraud: the betting companies involved in the case did not formally present themselves as victims nor did they file a police report.
The investigation began based on a report from the International Sports Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), without the direct participation of betting companies in the legal process.
The merits of the case will be judged after the legal classification issue is resolved. If only the manipulation charge is upheld, the process will continue based on that classification.
In a decision dated September 8, Judge Fernando Brandini Barbagalo stated: “The investigation was requested by an international entity that deals with verifying possible manipulations of results in games registered on online betting sites, which does not have the power of judicial representation. There was no report of a crime regarding the actions of the companies, which, moreover, did not even register an assistant prosecutor in the case file.”
Bruno Henrique's legal team is confident that this understanding will be upheld in higher courts, which could create a more favorable scenario for the Flamengo player in criminal matters.
