Funds earmarked for the Jockey Club's restoration were used to pay condominium fees in São Paulo and to buy blinds in Goiás.
Millions of dollars in incentives from the federal government and the São Paulo City Hall, earmarked for the restoration of the Jockey Club, were used to cover expenses of individuals linked to the social organization responsible for the project's fundraising and construction execution.
The Jockey Club, a traditional club in São Paulo, received authorization from the Ministry of Culture to raise R$ 159 million in sponsorships through eight projects, valid until 2028. Of this amount, Elysium, a social organization based in Goiânia and contracted by the Jockey Club as the proponent, managed to secure R$ 25,7 million through the Rouanet Law, according to the Ministry, as revealed in a report by Folha de S.Paulo.
In addition to this incentive from the Lula government, the Jockey Club raised R$ 62 million between 2019 and 2024 through the TDC (Transfer of Development Rights) — an instrument that allows the owner of a property listed by the city to negotiate part of the unused area.
According to the municipal administration, the value of the TDC (Transfer of Development Rights) should be used for the preservation of the property or for donations to land regularization programs and the implementation of parks and bus corridors.
When submitting its accounts to Ricardo Nunes' (MDB) administration regarding the TDC, the Jockey Club sent copies of the same invoices that had already been submitted in its accounting to the Ministry of Culture.
The club admits it made a mistake in submitting the invoices and states that it has corrected the accounting report with the city hall, which is currently under review by the Municipal Comptroller's Office.
The club is also the target of a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) in the City Council. Council members intend to investigate the amount of the Jockey Club's tax debts to the municipality, whether there was negligence on the part of the city government, and the destination of funds from tax incentives. The CPI was established following a report published by UOL.
Among the documents attached to the financial report submitted to the Ministry of Culture and the city hall, Elysium included receipts for condominium payments for an apartment in Itaim Bibi, belonging to its director Wolney Alfredo Arruda Unes, as well as a bill for piped gas and internet services.
There are also pharmacy receipts and dinner receipts with portions of shrimp and alcoholic beverages, such as beer and wine.
The reporter visited Wolney Unes' property on Tabapuã Street and found that the apartment is rented. The building is almost 4 kilometers from the Jockey Club.
In the accounting for the restoration of the Jockey Club, there are purchases of two air conditioning units, whose delivery address is Unes' apartment.
Elysium told Folha that a regulatory instruction from the Ministry of Culture allows for the payment of administrative expenses, including costs for energy, insurance, rentals, and services, limited to 15% of the project value.
The organization also states that it chose to rent the apartment to accommodate the technical team. "These expenses, therefore, refer strictly to costs related to this apartment, representing a significant saving compared to the costs that would be generated by hotel accommodation for the team," says Elysium.
"These expenses are administrative and legally mandated; they are not personal expenses."
Company from Goiânia
Founded in 1989 and based in Goiânia, Elysium became a social and cultural organization thanks to a decree by then-governor Marconi Perillo in 2014.
In 2019, Benjamin Steinbruch, who presided over the Jockey Club, hired Perillo to provide consulting services to his steel company, CSN.
President of the PSDB party and advisor to the club, Perillo began working in the administration of the Jockey Club during Steinbruch's management, mainly after losing the Senate election in 2018.
Professor Unes, from the Federal University of Goiás, conducts restoration and heritage projects and research, and states that, in addition to meeting with Steinbruch, while he was president of the Jockey Club, to discuss matters relating to the restoration of the buildings, he met Perillo at cultural project events in the state.
"Apart from that, he has no personal or business relationship with these people," the director of Elysium stated in a note.
Among the contracts and purchases made by Elysium for the restoration of the Jockey Club, a large portion is concentrated in the state of Goiás. Among them is a construction company that reportedly received at least R$ 11 million.
There are other cases that draw attention, such as the purchase of mirrors from a store in Goiás, when the same supplier has stores in São Paulo.
There was also the acquisition of electrical and graphic materials in Bahia. In Salvador, a company created in June 2024 began issuing invoices to Elysium for administrative support services the following month.
The organization told reporters that it maintains professional teams in various locations across the country. Regarding purchases made in other states, Elysium says that there are goods at its legal headquarters in Santo Antônio de Goiás and its office in Goiânia.
According to its financial statements, Elysium also paid the company, in the name of Giulyane Guimarães Nogueira Gomes, for administrative coordination services related to the Jockey Club's restoration. While acting as a service provider, Giulyane is also the administrative director of the social organization.
“The services provided by the administrative director or other figures on the board are duly planned and are monitored by the Ministry of Culture,” says Elysium. The reporter asked to speak with the employee, but the company responded on her behalf.
"Their remuneration corresponds to their function and qualifications, within the legal limits and parameters, and does not constitute impartiality, but rather payment for work done," the entity added.
The Ministry of Culture stated, this Monday (24), that it contacted the Nunes administration “in order to investigate the irregularities, but has not yet received a response”.
"The Ministry of Culture is in the process of analyzing the accountability reports for completed projects related to the Jockey Club of São Paulo. This is an ongoing and meticulous process; the ministry continues to evaluate the documentation submitted by the proponent and to monitor the projects still in execution," the statement says.
The Jockey Club, in turn, says that the Municipal Comptroller's Office will have to evaluate the data and verify that the funds were used as stipulated in the commitment agreement signed between the Jockey Club and the DPH (Department of Historical Heritage), an agency linked to the municipal Culture Secretariat.
The Comptroller's Office, upon receiving the documents submitted to the Rouanet Law in the process investigating the use of TDC (Transfer of Development Rights), summoned the Jockey Club to redo its accounting.
The club then sent spreadsheets detailing expenses such as fuel, diesel, payroll, employee benefits, maintenance of the Jockey Club and racetrack asphalt, among others.
"The TDC (Transfer of Development Rights) is a benefit provided for by law of an indemnifying nature; the required counterpart is the maintenance and preservation of the property in usable condition. In the case of the Jockey Club, the DPH (Department of Historical Heritage), when granting the TDC, assessed that R$ 11 million would be needed to maintain the property in the conditions stipulated in the listing resolution, and this was fulfilled with ample margin, as evidenced by the submitted accountability report."
Regarding Elysium, the Jockey Club defended the organization as one of "the most reputable in Brazil" and with its own suppliers.
"Part of the resources from the Rouanet Law can be used for administrative expenses. It is important to emphasize that this accountability report was presented to the Ministry of Culture and was fully approved, without reservations," says the Jockey Club.
