The same bankers and authorities in Brasilia who told journalists that they had received reliable information that the Minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) Alexandre de Moraes had pressured the Central Bank to favor Banco Master, say they had heard from members of the PF (Federal Police) that the magistrate had also expressed interest to the body in the progress of the investigation into the case.
The general director of the PF, Andrei Rodrigues, even informed President Lula of the matter and he heard in response: “Do whatever is necessary.”
Moraes’ wife, Viviane Barci de Moraes, is Master’s lawyer. His office signed a contract worth 129 million reais with the institution, as revealed by the O Globo newspaper.
The rumors have already reached the leadership of the PF.
Questioned by the chronicle, the general delegate of the PF, Andrei Rodrigues, denies having even spoken to Moraes on this subject.
“I’ve heard this before, but it’s a lie. Minister Alexandre de Moraes never spoke to me about this subject,” he told the chronicle.
Rodrigues also says that he constantly discusses with the magistrate, due to the investigations reported by him to the STF. “The subject of the main bank was never discussed,” he said, denying having spoken about this subject with Lula.
In November, the PF arrested the president of Banco Master, Gabriel Vorcaro. The institution was liquidated by the Central Bank.
This week, columnist Malu Gaspar, of the newspaper O Globo, published an article according to which Moraes had pressured the president of the Central Bank, Gabriel Galípolo, to defend Master’s interests.
She said that in at least three calls the magistrate inquired about the progress of the sale of the bank to BRB. There would also have been a face-to-face meeting.
Moraes denies putting pressure on Galípolo.
A memo published by the STF indicates that the minister spoke exclusively with the President of British Columbia about the sanctions imposed on him by the Magnitsky Act and even states that “there were no telephone calls between the two, for this or for any other subject”.
In the same text, the STF specifies that the minister “specifies that his wife’s law firm never intervened in the acquisition operation of BRB-Master before the Central Bank”.
The BC only confirmed that Galípolo met with Moraes to talk about Magnitsky, without specifying whether they also talked about the Master.
Read the full note from Alexandre de Moraes:
“Minister Alexandre de Moraes specifies that he held, in his office, two meetings with the president of the Central Bank to discuss the effects of the application of the Magnistiki law. The first on 08/14, after the first application of the law, on 08/30; Banco Master. He also specifies that he has never been to the Central Bank and that there has been no telephone connection between them, for this or for any other question. Finally, he specifies that his wife’s law firm never acted in the BRB-Master acquisition operation before the Central Bank.
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