Official Note
By Boards and General Assembly - CR Flamengo - inAware that former president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello made a statement to the press claiming that, if he had still been the club's manager, there would not have been a fire at the George Helal Training Center, the Board of Directors and the Presidents of Power of Flamengo come to clarify, so that there are no doubts, the acts committed by the former president, while a director of the club, in the terms in which they were cited by the police authority, in the investigation that determines responsibility for the fateful fire that occurred at “Ninho do Urubu”.
Initially, it was found in the lawsuit filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office (MPRJ) in the Children and Youth Court, which sought to obtain better housing conditions for the minors, that former President Bandeira de Mello personally appeared at the proceedings to refuse to execute the Conduct Adjustment Agreement (TAC) proposed by the Public Prosecutor's Office. This lawsuit states that, six months before the tragic incident, the MPRJ conducted an inspection and found worsening housing conditions. In this regard, the police authority stated the following:
“The disinterested line of action of former president EDUARDO BANDEIRA DE MELLO is corroborated in the records of the civil inquiry opened by the MP in 2015, when on that occasion he refused to sign the Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC) so that the precarious situation of Flamengo's youth athletes could be regularized, even though he admitted not complying with a series of conditions related in the inspection.
The conduct of former president EDUARDO BANDEIRA DE MELLO led to the filing of a public civil action by the Public Prosecutor's Office on March 23, 2015, seeking the immediate closure of the club's youth academy players' housing. However, on March 21, 2017, the club reported that the youth academy players had been transferred to new housing. However, the new housing was inspected by GATE/MP on June 18, 2018, where worsening conditions were reported, including with regard to the fire safety of the housing module.
Furthermore, the police authority found that, during former President Bandeira de Mello's administration, the "Ninho do Urubu" training center did not have an operating license issued by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall or a Certificate of Approval from the Fire Department. As a result, the Bandeira de Mello administration received several orders from the Rio de Janeiro City Hall to close the training center, which were not complied with, resulting in numerous infraction notices and fines. On this point, the police authority found and concluded:
“During the administration of former president EDUARDO BANDEIRA DE MELLO, the City Hall issued the Interdiction Notice due to the lack of an Operating License resulting, among other causes, from the absence of the Fire Department's approval certificate, and several Violation Reports were issued for non-compliance with the interdiction until the date of the fire in the housing module.
It is not credible that former president EDUARDO BANDEIRA DE MELLO, in the period from October 24, 2017 to December 31, 2018, on a matter of extreme relevance to Flamengo (construction of Ninho do Urubu), considered strategic for professional and youth football, had failed to take notice of the closure of the CT and the consequent infraction reports, with this leader with ultimate control of the fact having preferred to ignore the state determinations, which, if they had been met, would have spared the lives of the young athletes.”
These were the facts that served as the basis for the police authority to indict former president Bandeira de Mello for the death of the young Flamengo athletes on February 8, 2019.
It is worth noting that, within three months, the current administration obtained a provisional operating permit for the "Ninho do Urubu" training center, received approval from the Fire Department, and, within six months, obtained the final permit. The previously rejected TAC was duly signed with the Public Prosecutor's Office on May 3, 6, and approved by the judge of the Children and Youth Court. Since then, the George Helal Training Center has been fully open to athletes and minors.
The same process of regularization and obtaining a permit was carried out at the Gávea headquarters, which was also irregular, but is now regularized, with approval from the Fire Department and a permit.
Finally, the current administration, supported by its Presidents of Power, clarifies that it is not accusing former President Bandeira de Mello of being responsible for the tragedy, but merely reporting the facts ascertained by the police authorities, as set out in the proceedings, to better understand its own allegations before the Rio de Janeiro press, as well as to demonstrate the management corrections and legalizations carried out by the current administration.
Rio de Janeiro, April 21, 2020
FLAMENGO REGATAS CLUB
PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RODOLFO LANDIM
PRESIDENT OF THE DELIBERATIVE COUNCIL ANTONIO ALCIDES PINHEIRO DA SILVA FREIRE
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS BERNARDO AMARAL DO AMARAL
PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF GREAT BENEFICIARIES MOYSÉS SAUL AKERMAN
PRESIDENT OF THE FISCAL COUNCIL SEBASTIÃO PEDRAZZI
PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MARCELO CONTI BALTAZAR