The Federal Police (PF) made progress, this Tuesday (26), on one of the most sensitive fronts of the investigation involving Banco Master and placed At the center of the investigation are approximately R$ 3 billion in public funds from the State of Rio de Janeiro. used in operations linked to the Master conglomerate, controlled by the then banker Daniel Vorcaro.
The new phase of Operation Compliance Zero targeted, among others, former governor Cláudio Castro (PL), who received Federal Police agents at his residence in Barra da Tijuca, in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro.The police also executed warrants at addresses linked to Deivis Marcon Antunes, former head of Rioprevidência. The corporation is investigating suspicions of fraudulent management, money laundering, and financial transactions considered irregular involving resources from Rioprevidência, the fund responsible for paying pensions and retirement benefits to approximately 235 state employees.
In total, 10 search and seizure warrants were executed in Rio de Janeiro and the Federal District, authorized by Minister André Mendonça of the Supreme Federal Court (STF).
The agents remained for about three hours in Cláudio Castro's apartment, located in a penthouse in Península, a high-end condominium in Barra da Tijuca. The operation ended with the seizure of two cell phones.
Attorney Carlo Luchione, responsible for the former governor's defense, stated that Castro followed the operation "with serenity."
This was the second time in less than 15 days that the Federal Police had been at the former governor's house. On May 15, Cláudio Castro had already been the target of Operation Sem Refino, an investigation into alleged tax fraud involving Refit, formerly the Manguinhos Refinery.
R$ 3 billion under investigation
According to the Federal Police, the new phase of the investigation targets investments made by Rioprevidência in funds and financial products linked to Banco Master.
Investigations initially indicate investments of R$ 970 million made between October 2023 and July 2024. These amounts were identified during Operation Paper Boat, launched in January of this year.
Now, investigators claim to have identified new applications totaling R$ 2,01 billion as of July 2024, bringing the total transferred by the state pension fund for bank-related operations to approximately R$ 3 billion.
The Federal Police reported that the investments under investigation involve holdings in funds managed by the financial institution controlled by Daniel Vorcaro.
Banco Master is the target of a broad federal investigation into suspected fraudulent management, fictitious loans, and money laundering. Daniel Vorcaro is imprisoned in Brasília.
Operation Paper Boat
The new searches carried out this Tuesday are considered a direct result of Operation Paper Boat, which had already identified suspicious transactions between Rioprevidência and Banco Master.
In the first stage of the investigation, the Federal Police identified investments of R$ 970 million made by the state pension fund in the bank.
The suspicions led to the arrest of Deivis Marcon Antunes, then head of Rioprevidência. He was detained in early February during a joint operation by the Federal Police and the Federal Highway Police in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro state.
On Tuesday, agents also returned to execute warrants at addresses linked to Deivis, including a property in Botafogo, in the South Zone of Rio.
According to investigators, the financial transactions began to attract attention after indications of operations considered incompatible with the security criteria required for pension funds.
Pressure mounts in the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly.
The investigations also provoked a political reaction in the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly (Alerj). Earlier this month, state deputy Flávio Serafini (PSOL) announced that he had obtained the necessary signatures to create a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) to investigate the state's investments in Banco Master.
The commission has not yet been established, but the case has already mobilized opposition parliamentarians and oversight bodies.
Data presented at the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly (Alerj) indicates that Rioprevidência (the state's pension fund) invested R$ 970 million directly in Banco Master, in addition to approximately R$ 1,6 billion in funds managed by the financial institution.
According to lawmakers, some of these transactions allegedly occurred even after warnings issued by the State Audit Court (TCE-RJ), which had restricted new contributions from the pension fund to the bank.
In addition to Rioprevidência, the State Water and Sewage Company (Cedae) also reportedly invested around R$ 200 million in Banco Master, according to information presented by state deputies.
Difference in values
One of the points that has drawn attention in the investigations is the discrepancy between the figures compiled by the State Court of Auditors and the data presented by the Federal Police.
While the Rio de Janeiro State Court of Auditors (TCE-RJ) estimated approximately R$ 1,6 billion in transfers from Rioprevidência (Rio de Janeiro's pension fund) to operations linked to Banco Master, the Federal Police (PF) claims to have identified new investments that would raise this total to approximately R$ 3 billion.
According to the portal's findings g1However, federal investigators did not include investments made by Cedae in that calculation.
The discovery of new contributions has broadened the political and financial scope of the case, especially since it involves funds earmarked for the payment of retirement and pension benefits for state public employees.
Leave a comment