STF delays decisions on Banco Master during election period
A week before the first round, the STF is conducting investigations on Banco Master. Disputes over jurisdiction and motion for reconsideration delay decisions on CPI and rapporteurship.
A little more than a week before the first round of the 2026 elections, a series of moves in the Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) and the Federal Police (PF) are stopping the advance of investigations into corruption and financial fraud. The decisions involve the Banco Master and the businessman Daniel Vorcaro, affecting processes that clear suspicious relationships between the private sector and public authorities in Brasilia. The scenario is of legal impasse and operational paralysis, with direct reflections on the progress of the calculations.
Investigation halted since July
The Operação Compliance Zero, which investigates the Master case, has not gained new phases since July, despite having material for dozens of new stages. This is because the president of STF, Edson Fachin, ordered minister André Mendonça to hand over specific processes to him. Faced with this conflict of competence between ministers, the Federal Police decided to temporarily suspend the sending of new requests for searches or arrests.
The practical result is that investigations continue to exist on paper, but the pace of work has stopped drastically to avoid further legal attrition in the Court. The source did not detail what the next steps would be or potential targets, but the shutdown worries investigators who fear the loss of evidence or the flight of suspects.
The CPI of the Banco Master is for later
Minister Cristiano Zanin denied a request to compel the immediate installation of a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) in the Senate to investigate the Banco Master and possible links with court ministers. Although the request had sufficient signatures, Zanin understood that Senate President Davi Alcolumbre still needs to be heard before any drastic decision is made.
As the Congresso Nacional has slowed the pace of sessions due to the election period, the decision keeps the political investigation stalled, pushing any possibility of summoning witnesses for after the elections. Zanin’s decision was monocratic and can still be reviewed by the plenary, but there is no foreseeable trial.
Dispute over report No STF
There is an impasse over who should command the counts that cite the names of ministers of STF itself. On the one hand, there are reports about Alexandre de Moraes and, on the other, requests to investigate the conduct of André Mendonça. The trial to decide whether a new rapporteur should be drawn was interrupted by a request for a view from Minister Flávio Dino.
The request for a view suspends the analysis of the case indefinitely, and there is no date for its resumption. The source did not detail the content of the reports or specific suspicions against the ministers, but the standoff reinforces the feeling that STF-sensitive investigations are progressing slowly in an election year.
Impact on the political scene
The paralysis of the investigations on Banco Master occurs at a delicate moment, a few days before the first round. The approach of the elections increases the pressure on the STF to avoid decisions that may interfere with the electoral process, but also raises questions about the speed of justice in cases involving authorities.
For the voter, the postponement of the decisions means that fatos relevantes can remain hidden until after the vote. The source did not detail whether there was a link between the investigations and candidates or parties, but the case is closely watched by political analysts and the press.
Next possible steps
There is no set deadline for STF to resolve the conflict of jurisdiction or resume the judgment on the report. The Federal Police awaits a definition of the Court to decide whether to resume sending requests for searches and arrests. Meanwhile, the ICC of the Banco Master remains without installation, and the Senate should only resume regular sessions after the elections.
The continuity of the investigations will depend on the decisions of the ministers of the STF, who have not yet publicly spoken about the cases. The Boca no Trombone Portal will continue to track the developments and will bring new information once it is confirmed.
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