Court freezes R$20 million and other assets of Gusttavo Lima’s company

The courts have frozen R$20 million and ordered the seizure of all properties and vessels in the name of Balada Eventos e Produções Limitada, a company owned by singer Gusttavo Lima. The country singer’s business was allegedly used in the illegal gambling money laundering scheme investigated by Operation Integration, the same operation that arrested digital influencer Deolane Bezerra and her mother, Solange Bezerra, in Recife last Wednesday, the 4th. The information is from Fantastic.

According to the investigation, Balada Eventos was allegedly involved in the scheme along with José André da Rocha Neto, owner of VaideBet, which has the artist as its poster boy and was Corinthians’ main sponsor until June. One of Rocha Neto’s companies, JMJ Participações, bought the Cessna Citation Excel aircraft, seized on Wednesday in Jundiaí, in the interior of São Paulo.

Data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) shows that the aircraft is still registered in the name of Gusttavo Lima’s company, despite being operated by JMJ Participações. According to ANAC, the aircraft is still in the process of being transferred and that when the process is completed it will be fully owned by Rocha Neto’s company.

The court issued an arrest warrant for Rocha Neto, who is considered a fugitive because he was in Grécia, together with Gusttavo Lima when the operation was launched. It was also ordered the freezing of R$35 million from his personal accounts and another R$160 million from his companies.

The businessman’s defense stated, in a note to Fantasticthat “there is no evidence of his participation in illegal acts” and that his assets are declared and regular. Gusttavo Lima’s statement claimed that he only sold the plane to JMJ Participações, complying with all legal requirements. The note also highlights that the country singer only has an image usage contract with VaideBet and that neither he nor Balada Eventos “are part of any criminal organization scheme for the exploitation of illegal gambling and money laundering”.

The defense concludes by saying that the company “will make its statement in the records, presenting the relevant documents, to definitively clarify that there is no involvement whatsoever with the objective of the operation launched by the police.”

Shortly after the story aired, Gusttavo Lima spoke out on social media, claiming he was the target of “injustice.” The singer also called it “crazy” to include his company as part of a criminal organization.

For the singer, Balada Eventos became the target of investigation only for having “transacted commercially” with JMJ Participações and highlighted that the sale of the aircraft, which took place in 2023, had a “duly fulfilled contract” and “transfer receipt”.

“If justice exists in this country, it will be done. I have dedicated 25 years to music, and you all know my struggle to get here. I will not allow abuse of power and fake news. I am honest,” the artist posted.