The Kaipher Editorial Team 
Two partners and a director of retailer Fast Shop entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office on Monday and will pay R$ 100 million in fines for their roles in a billion-real scheme involving diverted ICMS tax credits. The deal, part of Operation Ícaro, targets bribes paid to State Treasury officials.
Under the agreement, partner Milton Kazuyuki Kakumoto will pay R$ 55 million, Júlio Atsushi Kakumoto R$ 30 million, and director Mário Otávio Gomes R$ 15 million. Fast Shop must also implement a rigorous compliance program and adopt new business practices to prevent future misconduct.
Confession Reveals Details of the Scheme
Director Mário Otávio Gomes, a 31-year Fast Shop veteran, confessed during an August 29 hearing that from 2021–2025 Fast Shop obtained R$ 1,593,667,505 in ICMS reimbursements. Investigators found Fast Shop funneled R$ 422.7 million to Smart Tax—a front company—between December 2021 and July 2025, then sold R$ 1.59 billion in credits to large firms to offset taxes.
Auditor at the Center of the Fraud
Tax auditor Artur Gomes da Silva Neto, accused as the scheme’s mastermind, remains in custody for facilitating illegal reimbursement approvals and expediting requests. Smart Tax, registered under his mother Kimio Mizukami da Silva, saw assets surge from R$ 411,000 declared in 2021 to R$ 2 billion in 2024.
Other Companies Investigated
Operation Ícaro also led to the arrest of Ultrafarma owner Sidney Oliveira and probes into Grupo Nós (Oxxo), Rede 28, Kalunga, and All Mix for potential involvement. Fast Shop has since appointed its first CEO in nearly four decades, cut 25% of its workforce, and suspended expansion, pledging full cooperation with authorities.
