PF releases data from Vorcaro's cell phone to STF ministers before judgment on Moraes

The Federal Police (PF) on Monday released copies of data extracted from the cell phone of Daniel Vorcaro, a former banker linked to Banco Master, to ministers of Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF). The Cristiano Zanin and Gilmar Mendes enclosures have already received the material and started analyzing the information.

The release comes on the eve of a session of the STF scheduled for Tuesday (15), in which ministers must analyze the unfolding of messages found in the Vorcaro apparatus involving the minister Alexandre de Moraes. Zanin and Gilmar directly requested the Federal Police access to the full content after they were unable to obtain the material through the minister André Mendonça, who had been conducting the investigations related to Banco Master.

Ministers asked for full access

In their requests to PF, Zanin and Gilmar argued that full access to the data is necessary so that the members of the Court can form their own convictions before the session. André Mendonça, on the other hand, argued that the necessary documents for the trial were already available and expressed concern that the full disclosure of the content could upset the analysis of the case.

The Federal Police informed the president of the STF, Edson Fachin, that it has technical conditions to provide identical copies of the data extracted from the device without compromising the chain of custody of the evidence. From this information, the ministers began to directly request the corporation to share the content. Zanin also argued that there is no hierarchy between the ministers of the Supreme Court and that the elements that make up a process submitted to the plenary must be available to the members of the Court.

Gilmar Mendes, in turn, argued that full access is important to allow the identification of any omissions or contradictions in the report that will be analyzed by ministers.

Judgment is scheduled for Tuesday

The expectation is now concentrated in the session on Tuesday (15). The plenary should analyze a report of the Federal Police related to the messages found on Vorcaro's cell phone and that point to Alexandre de Moraes as one of the interlocutors of the former banker. Among the possible unfoldings is the opening of an investigation involving Moraes. A request by the Attorney General of the Republic related to the validity of the document that brings together the dialogues is also under discussion.

The episode amplified the internal tension at the Supreme Court around the way information obtained during the investigations of Banco Master should be shared among ministers.