Chosen to take care of integrity at CBF, he was the target of a plea bargain – 12/02/2023 – Panel

Appointed to the position of integrity officer at the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) on November 24, lawyer Eduardo Gussem was the target of a plea bargain by Sérgio Côrtes, former state secretary of Health in Rio de Janeiro.

A report on the Metrópoles website showed that Côrtes claimed to have paid a bribe of R$600,000 with money from orthopedic prosthesis suppliers in 2013 to Marfan Vieira, then head of the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro, and Gussem, then deputy prosecutor.

The former secretary said in his statement that he went to Gussem’s residence three or four times and also had surgery on his hip free of charge, in São Paulo.

In exchange, the report states, Côrtes said he received privileged information about investigations against him and obtained cases of irregularities filed in his portfolio.

Côrtes’ collaboration agreement was approved by the Superior Court of Justice in 2022.

When contacted through its communications department, the CBF declined to comment. In a note to the Metrópoles report, Gussem said that the facts are “unfounded” and characterize “intolerable crimes” against his honor. “My public and private life, lived impeccably and without any blemish, is responsible for me, as well as the 28 years I dedicated to MPRJ”, he stated.

On the CBF website, Gussem said his objective was to bring “security to football”, with quick solutions to questions regarding betting and manipulation of results.

The entity highlights the lawyer’s CV, who was attorney general of Justice and president of the Public Ministry Association of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

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