The senator (-PI) avoided coming to the defense of the presidential pre-candidate (-RJ) when commenting on the investigations and stating that he will not anticipate judgment on the case. According to him, Flávio has to “pay exemplarily” if he is guilty.
“I’m not here to defend or accuse Senator Flávio. He has to be investigated, like everyone else, as I am. And, if he’s innocent, so be it, of course, his innocence is recognized. If he’s guilty, he has to pay exemplarily,” he said to TV Clube, a Globo affiliate in Piauí.
The senator stated that there should be no protection for suspects and demanded exemption from investigations. “In this country, there can no longer be anyone committing an offense that could benefit from protection. We have to investigate impartially and, whoever is innocent, let him be innocent. And, if he is guilty, let him pay severely, in accordance with the law”, he added.
Pre-candidate for , Ciro reaffirmed that he will leave his position if there is proof of irregularities involving his name. “If anything illegal is proven that could tarnish my honor, I will never return to my state with any blemish on my mandate,” he said.
The Federal Police, which investigates suspicions of financial fraud linked to . Ciro Nogueira was one of the targets, with search and seizure warrants served at addresses in Brasília and Piauí. Investigations indicate that he had received R$18 million in bribes to defend Master’s interests, among other benefits.
The senator’s brother, Raimundo Nogueira, was also the target of the operation and began to be monitored by an electronic ankle bracelet. After the action, he questioned the carrying out of operations in an election year.
He stated that receiving bribes through companies is an invention. “They invented that I illegally received amounts through companies, amounts that do not even reach 1% of the annual revenue” of these companies, he said, in reference to family businesses mentioned in the case.
Nogueira’s speech comes after the revelation by The Intercept Brasil of messages and audios exchanged between Flávio and Vorcaro to finance the film “Dark Horse”.
The former banker paid R$61 million for the production. Since then, the senator has been trying to contain the damage to his pre-campaign for the Presidency and is facing a crisis of trust among allies.
but stated that he “did not offer any advantages” in exchange for financing the film. The senator has repeated that it was “private money”. Vorcaro’s defense said they would not comment.
This week, which took place in November 2025. “Yes, I went to meet him [Vorcaro] to put an end to this story”, said Flávio about the visit to the former banker after participating in a meeting with the PL bench in the Chamber.
