Minister accompanied rapporteur André Mendonça to maintain preventive measures on suspicion of financial fraud; trial was suspended due to Gilmar Mendes’ request for a view
Minister Luiz Fux, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), voted this Saturday (23) to maintain preventive prisons by Henrique Vorcaro and Felipe Vorcaro, father and cousinrespectively, from Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master.
In recent weeks, the banker’s family members have been targets of Operation Compliance Zerofrom the Federal Police, which investigates fraud in the financial institution liquidated by the Central Bank in November 2025. Felipe was one of the PF’s targets in an operation on May 7th, and Henrique, on May 14th.
The case’s rapporteur at the Court, Minister André Mendonça, voted to maintain the prisons on Friday (22), in a virtual session of the Second Panel. The trial was suspended following a request from Gilmar Mendes. Fux anticipated his vote in both actions, and the collegiate, made up of five ministers, has a score of 2 a 0 to endorse the rapporteur’s decisions in relation to both the father and the cousin of the former owner of the Master.
The request for review gives more time – up to 90 days – for the Dean of the Court, Minister Gilmar Mendes, to analyze the case and, in practice, postpones the trial decision.
In the vote to maintain Vorcaro’s father’s arrest, Mendonça claimed “strong evidence that individuals are part of a complex structure for committing crimes with a profound negative repercussion on society”.
The rapporteur stated that there are “no other measures that are less serious and at the same time capable of guaranteeing public order, the application of criminal law and the good progress of criminal investigation” other than the preventive detention of the person being investigated.
As for the banker’s cousin, Mendonça endorsed an opinion from the Federal Public Ministry according to which Felipe Vorcaro assumed a “significant role” in financial transactions “marked by elements of illegalityespecially money laundering.” “The freedom of the person being investigated thus directly compromises the effectiveness of the investigation and the future application of criminal law,” said the rapporteur.
In addition to Mendonça, Fux and Gilmar, the Second Panel includes ministers Nunes Marques and Dias Toffoli.
Toffoli, however, has declared himself a suspect in trying cases related to Master. The magistrate has already reported the investigation, leaving it in February.
