Leandro Ruschel stated that a reporter from Veja considered that the attention given to the recording published by the magazine would be diverting focus from more serious allegations based on messages found on Daniel Vorcaro's cell phone. According to Ruschel, the reporter said that messages from 2024 and 2025 would indicate a collusion with executives from the pension funds of Banco do Brasil, Caixa, Petrobras, and Correios to raise R$ 10 billion, of which R$ 1 billion would be destined to the PT as a bribe. The account also mentioned more than 450 messages with an operator linked to the office of Minister Alexandre Padilha. Ruschel said that, according to the report, Banco Master entered in May 2024 a government list that would allow it to receive investments from the funds, despite having low credit ratings and being under investigation for fraud. During the same period, the bank reportedly negotiated R$ 500 million in credit letters with Caixa; the operation retreated after O Globo reported, in July 2024, the removal of two managers who had issued a negative opinion. The report also claimed that Padilha had said, in a meeting at the Palácio do Planalto, that agreements made with Olavo Noleto would count as agreements with the minister himself, and that, after dinner at Vorcaro's house in October 2024, the banker received a message saying that Lula would meet him and had liked the conversation. According to Ruschel, the reporter stated that Lula received Vorcaro in December and that messages from lawyer Walfrido Warde suggested pressure on the Central Bank to save Master. He added that Vorcaro would have presented the account to the Attorney General's Office (PGR), which had refused to receive the material, and that there would be evidence involving PGR members who had contact with the defense. Ruschel said that the reporter argued that Vorcaro should be heard and warned of the risk of diverting workers' resources to save the bank. #Corrupção #Política #Justiça (translated)
