July 31 – The Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) has denied that President Samir Xaud is the target of an investigation after its offices were searched by police.
Xaud, who only became President of the CBF in May, and federal deputy Helena da Asatur were reportedly the centre of a series of searches by the Brazilian federal police, who are investigating suspected electoral crimes in Xaud’s home state of Roraima.
Police officers had search warrants for 10 addresses in both the northern state and Rio de Janeiro, including for the headquarters of the CBF, where Xaud has a mandate until 2029.
In 2024, when the investigation was opened, Renildo Lima, Da Asatur’s husband, was arrested with cash hidden in his underwear following a report of vote-buying in Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima. At the time, the federal police arrested five other people with R$500,000 (around $89,500) in cash.
Da Asatur is a businesswoman and the state’s sole female federal deputy. She was elected in 2022 with 15,848 votes and, along with her husband, is part of the same political group as Xaud, who is a member of the MDB party in Roraima. Before being elected president of the CBF, he ran for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies but was unsuccessful.
The CBF issued a statement, insisting “the operation has no connection with the CBF or Brazilian football, and that the organisation’s president, Samir Xaud, is not the focus of the investigation.”
It continued: “The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) informs that it received federal police agents at its headquarters between 6:24 am and 6:52 am this Wednesday, as part of an investigation ordered by the Electoral Court of Roraima.”
“The CBF clarifies that, to date, it has not received any official information about the subject of the investigation. No equipment or materials were taken by the agents. President Samir Xaud remains calm and at the authorities’ disposal for any clarifications that may be necessary,” the CBF statement continued.
The search indicates there is to be no end to recent trouble at the top of the CBF.
Xaud replaced Ednaldo Rodrigues at the helm of Brazilian football after the latter was removed from his position by court order over an alleged forged signature in a document that settled his initial election.
Xaud’s election was subsequently boycotted by some major clubs, who protested an election process which sees state federations holding the decisive number of votes. Flamengo and Corinthians were among the sides to abstain from the poll, in which Xaud was the only candidate on the ballot.
Contact the writer of this story Samindra Kunti at moc.l1754135493labto1754135493ofdlr1754135493owedi1754135493sni@i1754135493tnuk.1754135493ardni1754135493mas1754135493