Correspondence obtained by the Brazilian Federal Police from Daniel Vorkaro, a former banker who oversaw Banco Master, has become part of an investigation into his ties to high-ranking government officials. In the messages, he described his close relationship with Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, mentioned contacts with Central Bank President Gabriel Galipolo and Chamber of Deputies President Hugo Motta, and told his lawyer about meetings with Attorney General Paulo Gonet and Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes.

According to the case file, Vorkaro referred to Alcolumbre as a “brother for life.” Some messages discussed private meetings and the banker’s requests for assistance with matters related to Banco Master. The mere existence of the correspondence, as Vorkaro’s defense emphasizes, does not indicate illegal actions or interference in the work of government agencies.

Payment to a Company Owned by a Relative of a Central Bank Employee

New information also concerns payments that Banco Master made in 2025. According to Jornal O Sul, on August 6, the bank’s legal counsel, Luís Renno, sent Vorkaro a list of five recipients. The list included LR Consultoria, with a payment of 120,000 reais.

The company is owned by Leonardo Eyer Harris—the brother of Ricardo Eyer Harris, chief of staff to Gilneu Francisco Astolfi Vivano, the Central Bank’s director of financial system regulation. According to information provided by the publication, LR Consultoria received a total of 720,000 reais from Banco Master in 2025 alone.

Leonardo Harris stated that the company had advised the bank on mining issues for about six months and had no connection to his brother’s work. He also said that he had informed his relative about the contract. Ricardo Harris, in turn, said he had informed the Central Bank’s leadership and had not participated in decisions related to Banco Master.

Galipolo told reporters that this case differs from those involving two other Central Bank employees who are already under investigation and have been suspended. According to investigators, former Director of Supervision Paulo Sérgio Neves de Souza and former head of the banking supervision department Bellini Santana helped Vorkaro establish contacts with the regulator and provided information on how to avoid inspections.

Contacts with the Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Court

In a message dated January 2024, Vorkaro wrote to attorney Sírio Soares that he would be attending a lunch hosted by the Esfera group with Gonet, and that Gilmar Mendes would likely also be in attendance. The event took place in late January; the attorney general attended as a guest of honor. According to GP1, former Minister of Communications Fábio Faria was among the guests.

The next day, Vorkaro mentioned his intention to attend Ricardo Lewandowski’s swearing-in as Minister of Justice. Later, the former Supreme Court justice provided legal consulting services to Banco Master through his firm.

On September 25, the Superior Council of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office rejected, by a majority vote, a request to expand the investigation into the relationship between Gonet and Vorkaro. The council also unanimously refused to recuse the Attorney General from proceedings related to Banco Master.

Overseas Transactions and the Defense’s Position

In another exchange of messages dated January 21, 2025, Rennu informed Vorkaro about preparations for a transaction “worth $300” via Luxembourg. Veja magazine speculates that the amount in question may have been $300 million, though the exact amount and purpose of the transaction are not clear from the message. Rennu compared it to a previous transfer of funds to the Cayman Islands.

According to the publication, investigators took information about overseas transactions into account when reviewing Vorkaro’s failed attempts to conclude a cooperation agreement. In one version of the proposal, he was allegedly prepared to return 40 billion reais, but no agreement was reached.

The banker’s attorneys called the publication of selected excerpts from the correspondence a selective and illegal leak of materials protected by investigative secrecy. The defense stated that personal, professional, or institutional relationships cannot automatically be considered evidence of a crime. The investigation into Vorkaro’s ties to government officials and the circumstances surrounding Banco Master’s operations is ongoing.