A former treasurer at Brazil’s federal lottery operator, Caixa, has been ordered to repay BR889,560 after diverting money from four ATMs to finance betting activity.
The ruling was upheld unanimously by the Federal Regional Court of the 2nd Region (TRF2) on 20 October, which rejected an appeal from Irineu Barth Júnior’s defence. The court also maintained a civil fine of the same amount, bringing his total financial liability to BR1.78m, before monetary adjustments.
The diversion took place between July 2020 and July 2021, when Barth Júnior was responsible for replenishing ATMs at Caixa’s Praia do Canto branch in Vitória, Espírito Santo.
The discrepancy was discovered on 28 July 2021, after he went on medical leave and another worker took over his duties. An internal audit found losses exceeding BR221,000 in each of the four machines.
During the investigation and a subsequent court hearing, Barth Júnior admitted using ATM funds to authenticate and pay bills that generated credits on betting platforms. The transactions were carried out without the corresponding cash being deposited into the machines, creating discrepancies in the bank’s records.
The Federal Police investigation supported the bank’s audit findings and informed an administrative misconduct lawsuit filed by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Barth Júnior’s defense argued that the diversions resulted from gambling addiction, which it said had been recognized by Brazil’s National Social Security Institute.
Recently, Caixa has updated its visual identity, the first in almost 30 years. The lottery operator has also modernized its payment methods.
Barth Júnior’s lawyer also said he had retained no assets and intends to appeal to the Superior Court of Justice
