STORY-TRÅD·politik

Lula urges full disclosure on Brazil’s “biggest financial crime”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday (Sep. 9) called for a “complete lifting of the confidentiality in the investigations of all those involved in the Master [Bank] case.” Lula described the matter as “the biggest financial crime in Brazil’s history.” His remarks come amid a serious crisis among Supreme Court justices involving decisions related to the probes and former banker Daniel Vorcaro. In a social media post, Lula called for the measure to be taken “urgently.” Notícias relacionadas:Billions frozen in crackdown on Brazil’s biggest bank fraud case.Brazil’s Central Bank tightens rules for virtual asset firms.“The Brazilian people need explanations and immediate measures to address the institutional crisis that has taken hold of the judiciary,” he said. The president called for transparency and criticized selective leaks that are impacting the election. He argued that the confidentiality of investigations must be fully lifted, “no matter who it is, no matter who it hurts.” “Brazil needs to know the truth,” the post concludes saying. Million-dollar fraud The crisis at the Supreme Court came to light when Justice André Mendonça lifted the confidentiality of partial reports from Operation Compliance Zero – in which he serves as rapporteur – which targets corruption by public officials and billion-dollar financial fraud allegedly committed by Vorcaro. The released material contains 52 messages that investigators say were sent by Vorcaro to Justice Alexandre de Moraes. In them, the former banker demonstrates close ties to the justice and appears to have forwarded to him a BRL 131 million contract between Master and the law firm of Viviane Barci de Moraes, the justice’s wife. To date, Justice Moraes has denied any contact with the former banker. Following the release of the material, the justice made public an “intelligence report” from the Federal Police in which Mendonça suggests targeting political opponents in the handling of the Master case.