06/28/2024 – 20:39
The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) claims to have found “unequivocal” evidence of the participation of the former CEO of Lojas Americanas, Miguel Gomes Pereira Sarmiento Gutierrez, who is on the run, in the frauds that were allegedly carried out to keep the retail chain’s shares high. The defense claims that he had no knowledge of the scheme.
The executive is identified in the investigation as the main person responsible for manipulating the company’s accounting results. It was he who, according to the MPF, had the final say on the supposedly inflated numbers that would be taken to the board of directors and the market.
“The other suspects made references to direct orders from Miguel Gutierrez and, at times, dealt directly with him about the fraud,” says the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The frauds would be carried out at the end of each quarter to bring real results closer to market expectations. Documents named “green and red” would be the basis of the scheme.
Investigators identified that the executive preferred to receive most of the files on a pen drive, “in order to protect himself”, but recovered messages would confirm that he had access to the fraudulent results.
The Federal Police (PF) believes that the frauds were carried out with two objectives: to achieve internal financial goals, to obtain bonuses, and to increase the value of the company’s shares, since Gutierrez was one of the shareholders. He sold R$171 million in shares before the loss announcement, in January 2023.
The former CEO of Americanas is the main person being investigated in Operation Disclosure. His name was included on Interpol’s red list.
WITH THE WORD, TO AMERICANAS
“Americanas reiterates its confidence in the authorities investigating the case and reinforces that it was the victim of results fraud by its former management, which intentionally manipulated existing internal controls. Americanas believes in Justice and awaits the conclusion of the investigations to hold everyone involved legally responsible.”
WITH THE WORD, THE DEFENSE OF MIGUEL GUTIERREZ
“Miguel reiterates that he never participated in or had knowledge of any fraud and that he has been collaborating with the authorities, providing the necessary clarifications in the appropriate forums.”
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