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Brazil's Chief Justice Fachin orders release of probe files in multibillion-dollar Banco Master fraud case
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Brazil's Chief Justice Edson Fachin ordered the release of thousands of pages of investigation files related to an alleged multibillion-dollar fraud case centered on the collapsed Banco Master. The probe involves central bank officials, politicians, and members of the Supreme Court. Judge André Mendonça complied with the order, which comes as institutional crises deepen weeks before the presidential election. The investigation has shaken Brazilian institutions due to alleged ties between Banco Master and senior government officials and opposition politicians. Fachin's decision aims to resolve a public conflict between Mendonça and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, which has caused one of the court's most severe internal crises in decades. Mendonça had previously released documents suggesting Moraes served as an advisor to the banker, prompting Moraes to accuse Mendonça of abusing his authority. Fachin scheduled a plenary session for September 15 to discuss the allegations. Hours before the decision, President Lula publicly supported making the investigation files public, stating, 'Investigate everything, make everything public, regardless of whom it hurts.' The immediate legal and political implications of the release remain unclear.
Source report
Reuters — Brazil's Chief Justice Edson Fachin ordered on Thursday the release of thousands of pages of investigation files related to an alleged multibillion-dollar fraud case centered on the collapsed Banco Master. The case involves central bank officials, politicians, and even members of the Supreme Court.
Judge André Mendonça, who is handling the case, swiftly complied with Fachin's request. The move comes as institutional crises deepen just weeks before the presidential election.
Brazilian institutions have been shaken by the expanding investigation into alleged ties between Banco Master and its former CEO Daniel Vorcaro with senior government officials and opposition politicians. The country is in the midst of an unusually intense campaign, where any major development could impact the electoral prospects of left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva or right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
Fachin's decision aims to resolve a public conflict between Mendonça and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, which has plunged the court into one of its most severe internal crises in decades. Earlier this month, Mendonça released investigation documents, including dozens of messages allegedly sent by Vorcaro to Moraes. These disclosures sparked unprecedented calls for an investigation into a sitting Supreme Court justice, alleging that Moraes served as an advisor to the banker. Moraes responded by accusing Mendonça of abusing his authority.
Fachin has scheduled a plenary session for September 15, during which the court's ten justices are expected to discuss allegations regarding the relationship between Moraes and Vorcaro.
Hours before Fachin's decision, Lula publicly supported the release of the investigation files.
"I am in favor of making everything public," he said in an interview with SBT. "Whenever there are allegations involving the judiciary or politics, they should be made public so everyone knows what happened... Investigate everything, make everything public, regardless of whom it hurts."
Although the Supreme Court has released thousands of pages of investigation records, it remains unclear which parts will continue to be kept confidential, as well as the immediate legal and political implications of this move.
Source: Reuters
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