The former governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, had a fear of being barred from the box of banker Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master, during Carnival at the Marquês de Sapucaí. They exchanged messages in March 2025, when Castro informed Vorcaro that he would pass by the box and asked for an indication of someone to authorize his entry into the VIP area. Vorcaro responded that he would send someone to pick up Castro and bring him to the location. These conversations are part of a report by the Federal Police that investigates alleged fraud involving Banco Master, RioPrevidência, and members of Castro’s government.
The Federal Police point out that the investments of RioPrevidência in Banco Master were not based on technical decisions, but rather on “political alignment” and “personal relationship” between Castro and Vorcaro. RioPrevidência applied over R$ 3.6 billion in Banco Master, including resources in funds and financial letters issued by Vorcaro’s institution. This relationship between Castro and Vorcaro is being investigated in the scope of the Master Case, which includes an operation by the Federal Police carried out on the last Tuesday, in addition to another action on May 15 in the Refit Case. The Master Case and the Refit Case are investigations that investigate billionaire fraudulent schemes.
The Federal Police’s investigations suggest that RioPrevidência, the state servants’ pension fund, made significant financial contributions to Banco Master without technical criteria, which raises suspicions of irregularities. Minister André Mendonça is the rapporteur of the Master Case in the STF. The relationship between former governor Cláudio Castro and banker Daniel Vorcaro is central to these investigations, which seek to clarify possible fraud and corrupt schemes involving public resources.
The analysis of the exchange of messages between Castro and Vorcaro and the Federal Police operations demonstrate the complexity of the investigations that involve public agents and financial institutions. These cases continue to be investigated, with the Federal Police and the STF working to clarify the facts and identify responsibilities.
