Jaques Wagner defends against Banco Master allegations

The Regional Electoral Court of Bahia (TRE-BA) ordered the removal of a website titled ‘MasterWhats’ that used simulated WhatsApp interfaces to present artificial dialogues involving Senator Jaques Wagner and businessman Daniel Vorcaro. The judge ruled that the content exceeded the limits of political criticism and could mislead voters by presenting manufactured conversations.

Senator Jaques Wagner has denied any irregularities regarding the ‘Compliance Zero Operation,’ which investigates potential links between him and Banco Master. Federal Police investigations identified numerous communications between Wagner and Augusto Lima, a former partner of Vorcaro. Wagner maintains that the allegations are unproven and has criticized the selective disclosure of investigative details.

In a petition to the Supreme Federal Court (STF), Augusto Lima defended Wagner, arguing that the Federal Police misidentified the source of a legislative benefit for Banco Master. Lima’s defense claims that the benefit actually stemmed from a provisional measure (MP 1.106/2022) issued by the Bolsonaro administration, rather than an amendment proposed by Wagner, which they assert was intended to limit interest rates for credit consumers.