Brazil police target Lula ally Sen. Jaques Wagner in widening Banco Master fraud probe ahead of election
Brazil’s federal police have executed search and seizure warrants targeting Sen. Jaques Wagner, a senior lawmaker and ally of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as part of a widening corruption and fraud investigation linked to the collapse of Banco Master.
Authorities are probing alleged suspicious payments involving Wagner, who leads Lula’s Workers’ Party in the Senate, in connection with the shuttered bank and its former CEO, Daniel Vorcaro. The operation is part of a broader investigation that has already implicated multiple political figures ahead of October’s general election.
Police carried out 18 search warrants across Bahia, São Paulo, and the Federal District, examining potential crimes including passive corruption, active corruption, and money laundering. Roughly $50,000 was also seized in BrasÃlia during the operation.
Court documents signed by a Supreme Court justice indicate investigators found signs Wagner may have received improper financial benefits, including the purchase of a luxury apartment in Salvador valued at about 2.45 million reais (approximately $470,000). Authorities are also examining whether he used his congressional position to influence policies related to Banco Master, including payroll lending rules and deposit insurance regulations.
Wagner denied wrongdoing, saying he has never received money from Banco Master and describing his connection to Vorcaro as minimal. His office also said the cash seized was legally obtained and that the apartment is not part of his assets.
Banco Master, which once held more than $16 billion in assets, was shut down by Brazil’s central bank in November following allegations of widespread fraud estimated at around 12 billion reais ($2.3 billion). Vorcaro, the former CEO, was arrested in March and is currently seeking a plea deal as the investigation continues under federal police and Supreme Court oversight.
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