São Paulo deputy mayor reports R$21.28 million sports festival contracts to prosecutors; mayor hits back

A rift inside São Paulo's city government has broken into the open. Deputy Mayor Ricardo Mello Araújo, a retired colonel, filed a complaint with the São Paulo State Public Prosecutor's Office (MP-SP) on November 10, asking it to investigate contracts signed by the Municipal Sports and Leisure Secretariat for the Virada Esportiva 2026 sports festival, alleging possible irregularities involving R$21.28 million in public funds. Mayor Ricardo Nunes hit back publicly on November 11, saying his deputy never verified the claims with the city's internal oversight bodies or the sports secretariat first.

The complaint: six activities not found, 12 organisations' addresses mismatch

According to documents filed by the deputy mayor's office, the complaint concerns partnership agreements between the sports secretariat and civil society organisations, covering R$21.28 million in committed funds. The office said that during on-site checks on September 19, the first day of the festival, six activities listed in the official programme could not be found at the stated venues and times. Between October 6 and November 4, it checked the registered addresses of 15 of the 22 partner organisations and found that 12 did not match their registrations. The filing itself notes that these are preliminary findings, not a determination of responsibility.

Mayor's response: no internal checks made, claims too absurd to comment on

Nunes told GloboNews on November 11 that before going public, his deputy did not check with the city's internal control bodies, nor did he ask the sports secretary, former Olympic volleyball medallist Érika Coimbra, for clarification. It would have been better to check first, Nunes said. He separately told reporters the allegations were so absurd that he would not comment. City Hall said in a statement that it had received the deputy mayor's material and would look into the facts, which remain unverified.

Prosecutors have not decided whether to investigate

Filing a complaint with the prosecutor's office does not mean an investigation has been opened. As of publication, the São Paulo State Public Prosecutor's Office had not announced whether it would open a formal investigation, nor found any diversion of funds or held anyone responsible. Mello Araújo said he would also send the material to the city's comptroller's office.

Power struggle comes into the open

Mello Araújo said he has been given no space in the administration and turned to prosecutors after repeatedly failing to get answers. He also confirmed that he intends to run for mayor of São Paulo in 2028 and to seek the support of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The Virada Esportiva is a fixture of the city's sporting calendar for two decades; the 2026 edition was held in September.

Sources: GloboNews; Metrópoles; São Paulo City Hall.