Rapporteur of the Master case at the STF declared that he has “no intention of being a savior” and that he has more “responsibility” than powers
Minister André Mendonça, from the STF (Supreme Federal Court), said this Friday (20.mar.2026) that “a good judge cannot be different” and that magistrates should not be “stars”. In a lecture to the Rio de Janeiro section of the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association), the minister also declared that he does not have the “claim to be a savior” and there is more “responsibility” than powers.
“The role of a good judge is not to be a star. It is simply to take responsibility and judge. As I am a Christian, I ask God to judge in the right way”stated the minister in the lecture entitled “The challenges of law in the 21st century”.
The statement was made 1 day after the minister authorized the transfer of the founder of Banco Master, Daniel Vorcaro, to the Federal Police Superintendence in Brasília. THE former banker together with the Federal Police and the PGR (Attorney General’s Office), starting the process for the plea bargain.
In the lecture, the Master’s rapporteur said that he does not want to be a “salvador” and that your position carries more responsibility than powers: “I don’t consider myself more important, nor am I less important. The 11, today 10, each with their due importance and their due responsibility. I have no intention of being the savior of anything. I understand that it is a public burden, that there are more responsibilities and duties than prerogatives and powers”.
“My biggest challenge, in any process, is to understand what is right. Decide in the right way and do it for the right reasons, out of the duty to do the right thing. That’s why I don’t pretend to be hope, someone with some special gift, just the expectation of trying to do the right thing for the right reasons”he stated.
MASTER CASE
The minister took over the investigation on February 12, after and minister Dias Toffoli.
Mendonça authorized the 3rd phase of the Compliance Zero operation, which determined the by Daniel Vorcaro, founder of Banco Master.
In the decision ( – PDF – 384 kB), the minister said that Vorcaro “maintained direct involvement in conducting financial and institutional strategies related to the institution, participating in decisions aimed at raising funds in the financial market and their subsequent allocation in investment structures linked to the economic conglomerate itself”.
According to him, elements of the investigation indicate that the banker “participated in structuring a fundraising model through the issuance of bank securities with remuneration significantly higher than the market average, directing the amounts obtained for investments in higher risk and low liquidity assets, including through investment funds in credit rights in which Banco Master itself appeared as a shareholder”.
According to the PF, the scheme investigated has 4 main areas of activity:
- 1 – financial nucleus, responsible for structuring fraud against the financial system;
- 2 – core of institutional corruption, aimed at co-opting public officials from the Central Bank;
- 3 – core of asset concealment and money laundering, using intermediary companies;
- 4 – intimidation and obstruction of justice nucleus, responsible for the illegal monitoring of opponents, journalists and authorities.
In addition to Vorcaro, the following were arrested:
- Fabiano Zettelinvestigated for making payments and guiding an intimidation center;
- Marilson Roseno da Silvaretired federal police officer investigated for participating in a group monitoring Vorcaro’s opponents;
- Luiz Phillipi Machado de Moraes Mourãocalled Sicário –he on March 6 after trying to kill himself while in Federal Police custody in Belo Horizonte. The corporation did not detail what happened.
