The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil has lifted this Friday the confidentiality of investigations into the Master Bank fraud case, the largest banking fraud in the country’s history.
The decision, made by Judge André Mendonça, comes in response to a request from Supreme Federal Court ‘s President, Edson Fachin. The move aims to allow all members of the Supreme Court to access the case files before an extraordinary session scheduled for next Tuesday, September 15.
The measure provides for keeping in reserve only those ongoing proceedings, such as searches or arrest warrants, whose effectiveness depends strictly on the factor of surprise.
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The extraordinary session will evaluate the validity of a Federal Police report, commissioned by Mendonça, which identified conversations between Judge Alexandre de Moraes and the imprisoned banker Daniel Vorcaro, owner of the defunct Master Bank. Vorcaro is detained for a tax fraud of billions of dollars. According to messages found on Vorcaro’s phone, the banker sought information and assistance from the judge to delay police operations against him.
El presidente de la Corte Suprema, Fachin, dio un plazo de 24hs para que el juez del tribunal André Mendonça retire la confidencialidad de TODOS los documentos sobre la causa de fraude y corrupción del Banco Master. El pedido fue realizado por la Procuraduría General de la… pic.twitter.com/0J3tjJYvJP
— Nacho Lemus (@LemusteleSUR) September 11, 2026
Text reads: “The President of the Supreme Court, Fachin, gave a 24-hour deadline for the court judge André Mendonça to remove the confidentiality of all documents on the case of fraud and corruption of the Master Bank. The request was made by the Attorney General of the Republic. Mendonça last night released some of the documents about the investigations and was accused of making a selective disclosure by his colleague Alexandre de Moraes, who appears in the focus of the investigations. Mendonça is in charge of the investigations linking the far-right senator and presidential candidate, Flavio Bolsonaro, with the former president of the Master Bank.”
Internal Court Crisis
Judge De Moraes requested an investigation into Mendonça for abuse of power, citing a police report with no supposed probative value. This has sparked an unprecedented internal crisis within the Court, which has previously faced threats of closure from former President Jair Bolsonaro and his ex-minister Augusto Heleno.
During the upcoming meeting, the Ministers will decide whether to open a formal investigation against De Moraes. The lifting of the secrecy also confirmed that the Federal Police and the Prosecutor’s Office are investigating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro for corruption, money laundering, and currency evasion.
| How did Bank Master become one of the most complex banking fraud cases Brazil has ever seen? Years of maneuvering built a network of bankers, politicians, and criminals. See the timeline of the case here: https://t.co/T7hOCrMK9e pic.twitter.com/W1mhuFMQMs
— InSight Crime (@InSightCrime) August 30, 2026
Authorized in July by Mendonça, the investigation looks into the financing of the yet-to-be-released film “Dark Horse,” about the life of Flávio’s father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year sentence for coup attempts. According to revealed messages, the presidential candidate allegedly requested donations from Vorcaro to settle production debts. Intercept Brazil records indicate that the banker transferred at least 61 million reais (around 12 million dollars) in 2025 to accounts in United States held by individuals close to the Bolsonaro family, leading the police to suspect that the senator may have received part of those funds illegally.
These events unfold less than a month before the presidential elections, where current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva seeks re-election against right-wing candidates like Flávio Bolsonaro.
Lula expressed support for the investigations but criticized “selective leaks” by judges, citing a political bias that harms the Court’s credibility. Flávio Bolsonaro, for his part, rejected the accusations, attributing them to electoral maneuvers aimed at destabilizing his candidacy. He argued that he only requested a private donation without offering anything in return.
Lula afirmou que o escândalo do Banco Master e casos de corrupção no INSS foram criados durante o governo de Jair Bolsonaro. pic.twitter.com/96qRzmxDsa
— Brasil Alternativo (@bralternativo_) September 12, 2026
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