Negotiations for a new attempt at a plea bargain agreement with banker Daniel Vorcaro resumed last week, amid separate meetings between his lawyers, members of the Attorney General's Office (PGR), and Federal Police delegates. Although contacts have been reopened, sources involved in the negotiations say there has been no concrete progress indicating an effective rapprochement between the parties. This information comes from columnist Malu Gaspar of the newspaper... The Globe.
The main message conveyed by both the Attorney General's Office and the Federal Police was direct: for a new proposal to have any chance of succeeding, Vorcaro will need to abandon the defense strategy adopted so far and assume responsibility for the crimes under investigation.
The demand comes after the rejection of the first collaboration proposal, discarded on the 20th. According to investigators, the material presented was insufficient, selective, and failed to address facts already known to the authorities. Furthermore, the proposal allegedly omitted information considered relevant and avoided involving individuals who, in the view of the investigating bodies, should necessarily appear in the accounts.
Criticisms of the first proposal
Sources connected to the negotiations claim that the main weakness of the rejected agreement was Vorcaro's resistance to admitting involvement in the events that led to his arrest. According to investigators, this stance compromised the credibility of the collaboration.
One of the examples cited internally involves Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI).According to reports from people who followed the analysis of the submitted attachments, the material did not deal with alleged monthly payments of R$ 500 nor with expenses related to luxury trips and dinners in Europe.
On the other hand, the document mentioned equity participation in a company used as a business vehicle, but failed to address the so-called "Master Amendment," a proposal that sought to increase the coverage of the Credit Guarantee Fund (FGC) from R$ 250 to R$ 1 million for investors who purchased bank deposit certificates (CDBs).
Investigators assessed the account presented about the congressman as excessively lenient. Behind the scenes, the chapter dedicated to Ciro Nogueira even received an ironic nickname: "the beatification of Ciro".
Another sensitive point was the lack of detailed information regarding the influence attributed to the former governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, in investments made by Rioprevidência in securities linked to Banco Master.
A change in posture is considered essential.
According to members of the team responsible for the negotiations, simply adding new annexes will not be enough to ensure the agreement's future approval.
According to an investigator involved in the talks, the central problem lies not only in the amount of information presented, but in the stance adopted by the banker throughout the negotiations.
"He needs to accept that a plea bargain implies a confession of crimes; it's not a tool for defense," says this investigator.
The prevailing perception among negotiators is that a plea bargain requires not only the disclosure of previously unknown facts, but also an admission of one's own participation in the irregularities described.
Attempt to rebuild relationship with André Mendonça
Alongside negotiations with investigative bodies, Vorcaro's defense team is also working to re-establish dialogue with Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice André Mendonça, who is the case's rapporteur.
The relationship between the judge and the banker's legal team deteriorated during the processing of the first plea bargain proposal. According to behind-the-scenes accounts, Mendonça began restricting contact to the formal channels of the legal process, communicating exclusively through petitions.
The change occurred after Vorcaro's then-lawyer, José de Oliveira Lima, argued before the minister for the proposed collaboration. At that time, the rapporteur was informed that the defense would appeal to the Second Panel of the Supreme Federal Court if the approval was denied.
Mendonça interpreted the move as a way to put pressure on the court, which led to a cooling of relations between the minister's office and the banker's representatives.
Changes in prison
The rejection of the plea bargain proposal also had immediate repercussions on Vorcaro's prison situation. After the negotiations failed, he left the staff room at the Federal Police Superintendency in the Federal District and was transferred to a transit cell.
According to his lawyers, the conditions in the new facility were significantly inferior to those found in other units the executive had been in since his arrest.
Later, André Mendonça authorized Vorcaro's return to the General Staff room. The location became known for having housed former president Jair Bolsonaro before his transfer to the 19th Battalion of the Military Police of the Federal District, known as Papudinha.
Behind the scenes, the minister's decision was interpreted as an opportunity to restart negotiations on new grounds. Now, investigators expect the defense to convince the banker to change his strategy and present a more comprehensive collaboration, capable of meeting the requirements considered essential for reaching an agreement.
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