STF Justices Clash Over Banco Master Secrecy as Flávio Bolsonaro Investigation Becomes Public

A severe internal crisis has emerged within Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) as Justice Alexandre de Moraes accused Justice André Mendonça of making a selective choice regarding which documents to unseal in the Banco Master investigation. In a request to STF President Edson Fachin, Moraes alleged that Mendonça suppressed 180 documents and directed the investigation for personal and political reasons. Moraes has requested a joint trial for his case and Mendonça's case on Tuesday, September 15, to avoid contradictory decisions and has called for the immediate and total lifting of all secrecy surrounding the Banco Master proceedings. The conflict follows a decision by Justice Fachin to suspend certain investigations and move them to the presidency of the court to resolve procedural overlaps and conflicts.

Simultaneously, the lifting of partial secrecy has revealed that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a leading presidential candidate, is under investigation for alleged corruption, money laundering, and currency evasion. The probe, opened by Justice Mendonça in July, examines the financing of the film Dark Horse, a biopic of Jair Bolsonaro. Court documents indicate that Flávio Bolsonaro solicited millions of dollars from Daniel Vorcaro, the owner of the failed Banco Master, for the film's production. While some reports highlight that Flávio previously denied being under investigation or requesting funds, the senator has recently stated that Justice Mendonça is right to investigate and has called for total transparency. Flávio's campaign has sought to minimize the impact, claiming the information was already public and that the investigation is a political maneuver by the current government.