The Federal Police’s operation against the BRB (Bank of Brasília) placed in the lap of the governor of , (), what federal and district deputies consider to be the toughest crisis since the beginning of his administration.
By positioning himself as the main political guarantor of Master’s purchase by BRB, Ibaneis gave ammunition to the current opponents, Celina Leão (PP), and complicated his own election to the Senate, in the view of local politicians.
Parliamentarians assess that Ibaneis also hired what could be the (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) since the January 8th coup attacks — and also the only one with exclusive weight over the local administration.
District deputies from the PT, PSOL and PSB gathered seven of the eight signatures necessary for the installation of the CPI and say they hope that public pressure will be able to constrain the governor’s robust support base in the Legislative Chamber.
With free movement in the Judiciary, 17 of the 24 districts at the base and the summary dismissal of secretaries who became the target of investigation, the emedebista had managed to distance himself from scandals in his administration since his first term.
In 2020, for example, he dismissed the Secretary of Health and six other people after an operation against suspected fraud in the purchase of Covid-19 tests.
Hours after Tuesday’s decision that removed the president of the BRB, Paulo Henrique Costa, for 60 days, Ibaneis ordered his dismissal and announced that he would appoint the superintendent of Caixa Econômica Federal in Brasília, Celso Eloi, to his place.
Despite the rapid movement, parliamentarians emphasize that the governor publicly and repeatedly defended the purchase of Master by BRB and accused the opposition of trying to disrupt the deal for purely political reasons.
“The governor of the Federal District was the godfather of this operation. He defended the purchase of this Banco Master tooth and nail, even after the “, criticized the former governor of the DF and federal deputy Rodrigo Rollemberg (PSB).
After BRB’s board of directors authorized the purchase of 58% of Master, in March, Ibaneis, who did not mix politics with the bank’s technical issues, mocked his predecessor.
“They almost broke the BRB during their management. We received the key from the Federal Police at the time of Rodrigo Rollemberg”, he declared.
In September, the governor said that the BC’s veto on the operation would put . “We are not buying risk, we are buying an opportunity. The issue of risk for the financial system is because, with the delay, these assets of theirs [Master] will deteriorate.”
In addition to Ibaneis’ insistence on the deal, Master became even more associated with the Brasilia government due to Celina’s alliance with the president of the PP party, senator Ciro Nogueira (PI), — who, in turn, was arrested on Monday (17).
Ibaneis is a pre-candidate for senator, alongside former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (PL), on Celina’s ticket. , Bolsonaro federal deputy Bia Kicis (PL) announced that she will also run for a seat in the House.
Two of Celina’s possible opponents in the 2026 contest took the opportunity to make a statement with several posts on social media throughout the day.
“Celina, Ibaneis, why did you want to buy the Master so much? What’s behind this? We hope that these investigations reach the end because the BRB belongs to the people of Brasília”, said the president of Iphan (Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage), Leandro Grass (PT).
“Ibaneis and Celina’s spree with the people’s bank in the Federal District is over. It’s just the beginning. Everything indicates that billion-dollar crimes will be revealed,” said the president of ABDI (Brazilian Industrial Development Agency), Ricardo Cappelli (PSB).
With the partnership between Ibaneis and Paulo Henrique, the BRB began to participate more and more in the DF government. He was responsible for everything from managing the TV Tower, one of the city’s landmarks, to operating the public transport ticketing system.
Nationally, the bank gained visibility through a partnership with Flamengo, the Ibaneis team, to create a digital bank. Since 2022, BRB also holds the naming rights to the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha.
People familiar with the investigation say that there is evidence that the state bank of Brasília acquired Master, since, if the institution were liquidated or underwent intervention, all balance sheets would be scrutinized.
The Government of the Federal District released a statement saying that it reiterates its “commitment to legality, transparency and full collaboration” with the investigation and that it will adopt “additional internal measures” to “strengthen governance, compliance and internal control mechanisms”.
