Fabiano Zettel will be defended by Celso Villardi, who is working on the former president’s case for a coup d’état
Businessman Fabiano Zettel, brother-in-law of Daniel Vorcaro, changed his defense panel this Wednesday (25th March 2026). The defense will now be led by criminal lawyer Celso Villardi, who worked in the defense of the former president (PL) in the accusation of an attempted coup d’état.
Zettel has been in pre-trial detention since March 4, on suspicion of making payments and intermediating actions by the group “A Turma”, which would serve to intimidate opponents of Banco Master, founded by Vorcaro.
In a statement, lawyers Maurício Campos Jr., Juliano Brasileiro and João Victor Assunção reported that they left Zettel’s defense because “intimate reasons”.
“The lawyers presented a petition for substitution in the STF to lawyer Celso Villardi, who will continue with the defense”, says the document.
The change in Zettel’s defense comes shortly after the change in Vorcaro’s strategy, who, on March 19, signed a confidentiality agreement with the PGR (Attorney General’s Office) and the PF (Federal Police).
Vorcaro’s defense began to be coordinated by lawyer José Luis Oliveira Lima, who worked in the case of Bolsonaro’s former minister, General Walter Braga Netto.
In the award-winning collaboration agreement, there is the possibility of more than one investigator doing “cross-complaint”, offering evidence to investigators and facilitating negotiation for benefits.
Married to Natália Vorcaro, sister of the owner of Banco Master, Zettel moves between the high-end financial market and religious leadership at the Lagoinha Baptist Church, in Belo Horizonte. He also runs Moriah Assets, an investment fund focused on the wellness (well-being).
Zettel was also responsible for facilitating the acquisition of a stake in the company Maridt, owned by the minister’s family Toffoli Daysof the Federal Supreme Court, at the Tayayá resort, in Ribeirão Claro (PR).
HOW THE DELATION WILL WORK
Based on the confidentiality agreement, Vorcaro’s defense, the PF and the PGR undertake to maintain the confidentiality of the preliminary information provided by the former banker. Vorcaro must answer questions from the delegate and prosecutors to provide evidence to corroborate his version. The process is expected to last 30 to 60 days.
After the statements have been completed, the person being investigated must report everything they know, otherwise the agreement will be null and void. The PGR and the PF will assess whether there is evidence that will help obtain new evidence. If they decide to proceed, the PGR will forward the request to the minister’s office André Mendonça for approval of the agreement.
With approval, new statements will be collected and attached to the investigation files. The validity of the complaint is only confirmed after the rapporteur’s decision.
WHAT TO EXPECT
There is no room for selective reporting in collaboration agreements. The whistleblower must present all the information, otherwise the agreement will be rejected. The effects of the allegations should be noticed from the 2nd half of 2026, during the electoral period.
The expectation is that Vorcaro will respond about his relations with authorities in the Judiciary, the political environment and the regulatory sector. Only facts that constitute a crime will be considered in the process. Personal relationships, investments and legal contracts will only be investigated if there is evidence of corruption or administrative law.
the 3rd phase of Operation Compliance Zero on March 4, which resulted in Vorcaro’s preventive arrest. The 2nd Panel unanimously made the decision.
The minister, but criticized his colleague. The dean stated that the “appeal to porous and elastic concepts for the enactment of preventive prisons recommends a critical look”, in reference to Mendonça’s justifications. He cited Operation Lava Jato: “In the recent past, these same formulas were invoked to justify abuses and arbitrariness.”
