Federal Police Search Ex‑Governor as Probe into R$3.7–3.9 Billion Master Bank Pension Investments Expands

Overview

• The Polícia Federal carried out new search‑and‑seizure actions targeting former Rio governor Cláudio Castro and sought bank and tax sigil breaks for eight suspects, measures reported on Tuesday by multiple outlets.
• Investigators say messages recovered from Daniel Vorcaro’s phone indicate that releases of pension fund investments depended on a political ‘acerto’ with the Rio executive, and they cite repeated meetings between Vorcaro and Castro as evidence.
• The probe now covers RPPS pension bodies in Rio de Janeiro, Amapá, Amazonas and at least two São Paulo municipalities, with irregular investments in Master‑linked financial products and funds that total roughly R$3.7–3.9 billion under scrutiny.
• The Federal Police point to governance failures including strategic appointments, altered internal procedures, lack of technical analyses and the use of intermediaries to raise commissions, while defenses deny any illicit or personal favors.
• The investigations have intensified political pressure on the PL in Rio, imperil Castro’s electoral prospects and prompted Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign to stage high‑profile anti‑corruption events to counter reputational damage.