The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, claimed this Thursday that "it is essential that everyone is investigated" in the Banco Master scandal "without shielding anyone, no matter who it hurts," after the contacts between the former head of the entity, Daniel Vorcaro, and the magistrate of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) Alexandre de Moraes were revealed in the days leading up to the banker’s arrest, who is being investigated for fraud and document forgery.
In a video message, Lula described the case as "the Banco Master scandal is the biggest robbery in the history of Brazil. Millions of people from numerous states and municipalities were victims of this fraud," and reiterated that "it is essential that everyone is investigated, without protecting anyone, no matter who it hurts." "The Brazilian people have the right to know the truth," he insisted.
The head of state emphasized that Vorcaro "has connections with many powerful people" and that "there are suspicions that politicians and public officials are involved," avoiding mentioning De Moraes, who is considered close to him. Lula also wanted to underline that the intervention against the bank occurred under his current mandate: "It was during my mandate that they arrested him and closed his bank."
The Brazilian leader also indirectly referred to the disclosure of the report from the Federal Police requested by Supreme Court judge André Mendonça, which includes the messages that Vorcaro sent to Alexandre de Moraes asking him to intervene in order to stop the investigations and guide him on how to prevent the execution of the preventive arrest order issued against him.
"Our democracy cannot be kidnapped by selective leaks," warned the occupant of the Palácio do Planalto in his first public reaction after the content of that document was revealed, the nullification of which has been requested by the Attorney General, Paulo Gonet. He argues that Judge Mendonça "used the Police" to promote an investigation into De Moraes carrying out "activities that were not his responsibility."
In this context, and emphasizing "the seriousness of the moment," Lula has pointed out that "the Brazilian people expect the president of the Supreme Court (Edson Fachin) and the Attorney General to lead a process that guarantees integrity and trust in the investigations." He has also appealed to the responsibility of the political elites: "The time has come for those who engage in public life to honor their duty and prioritize public commitment over any individual interest."
At the same time, and considering that "only by acting with firmness and transparency will we guarantee that Brazilian society respects the institutions," the president has defended that "democracy needs strong and respected institutions." In his speech, he concluded that "it is clear that our political and judicial systems need deep reforms."
Vorcaro is being investigated for his role as president of Banco Master, which has already been liquidated following a fraudulent scheme that is said to have caused a hole of 12 billion reais (1.696 billion euros) and affected 1.6 million people. The case has gained new public relevance following the leak of the aforementioned report from the Federal Police, prepared by order of Judge Mendonça and sent to the Attorney General.