A former CEO and a former director of Lojas Americanas are wanted by the Federal Police after being targeted by arrest warrants on suspicion of involvement in a R$ 25.2 billion shortfall in the company. On Thursday (27), the Federal Police also executed search and seizure warrants against other former executives of the retailer. About 80 federal police officers participated in the operation, dubbed Disclosure, an English term used in the financial market for the disclosure of information to ensure the economic transparency of a company.
Fifteen search and seizure warrants were executed (14 at the residences of former professionals and one at the company’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro). Additionally, the Federal Court ordered the sequestration of assets and values of these former directors totaling more than R$ 500 million.
The former CEO of the company, Miguel Gutierrez, and the former executive, Anna Saicali, were included in Interpol's red notice. This system is used to publicize the arrest warrants of individuals abroad and to enable countries that are part of Interpol to enforce the warrant if the targets move. According to the Federal Police, Gutierrez left Brazil on June 29, 2023, after an investigation was initiated and following the creation of a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission on the subject in Congress. He has dual nationality, Brazilian and Spanish. Saicali, according to information obtained by Folha, left the country on the 15th of this month. Contacted, Saicali's advisory did not comment. Gutierrez's defense stated that he "reiterates that he never participated in or had any knowledge of any fraud and that he has been cooperating with the authorities, providing the necessary clarifications in the appropriate forums."