Brazilian police summon Senator Wagner for questioning over Master Bank bribery allegations
Senator Jaques Wagner, an ally of Lula, must appear before the Brazilian Federal Police on 7 August for questioning regarding alleged bribes from the defunct Master Bank.
Senator and Lula ally summoned over Master Bank bribery suspicions
Brazil's Federal Police have summoned Senator Jaques Wagner to give a statement on 7 August, according to lafolkargentina.com.ar, citing reports from CNN Brasil and GloboNews. Wagner, considered one of the closest allies of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, faces suspicions of having received illegal payments from the defunct Master Bank, an entity accused of million-dollar frauds and liquidated through extra-judicial means by the Central Bank last November.
The investigation suggests that Wagner may have received funds from Master Bank "directly or indirectly" through a family company. Authorities also identified an apartment in Salvador de Bahía valued at 2.5 million reais—approximately 490,000 dollars—as part of the assets allegedly obtained irregularly. Additionally, the police suspect that the senator repeatedly used private aircraft belonging to Daniel Vorcaro, the former owner of Master Bank who is currently in preventive detention.
As part of the investigation, authorities conducted raids on various residences and offices of Wagner, who served as governor of the state of Bahía. Following the operation, the senator met with Lula and announced on his social networks his resignation from his position as spokesperson for the Workers' Party (PT) in the Senate—a post he held until last month—in order to focus on his defence. However, he retains his legislative seat.
Wagner rejected any irregularity and maintained that "all his assets have a legal origin". Despite the suspicions, Lula continued official activities with the senator after the police operation and publicly highlighted his bond of friendship with him.
The Master Bank case has gained considerable prominence in Brazil following journalistic revelations that expose alleged links between Vorcaro and officials from all three branches of the State, from judges of the Supreme Court to legislators from different political parties.
The scandal also reached the opposition: Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and the leading opposition candidate for the presidential elections in October, became linked to the case after it emerged that he negotiated with Vorcaro a multi-million-dollar sponsorship for the production of a biographical film about his father.
Source: Google News AR — Crime