Key facts
- Flávio Bolsonaro's law firm reportedly received 500,000 reais from an accounting firm linked to Banco Master.
- The accounting firm is tied to a consultancy that received nearly 60 million reais from the bank.
- Voice messages suggest Bolsonaro asked jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro for 61 million reais for a film about his father.
- Bolsonaro denied wrongdoing, stating the film sponsorship was private and no public money was involved.
- He asserted he did not offer illegal advantages, intermediate government business, or receive money.
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing amid reports linking him to a banking scandal and alleged requests for millions from a jailed banker. Local media outlet Metropoles reported that Bolsonaro's law firm received 500,000 reais ($98,925) from an accounting firm, Contabil Correa, which is reportedly connected to Copenhagen, a consultancy that received nearly 60 million reais from Banco Master SA.
Separately, The Intercept Brazil published voice messages indicating that Senator Bolsonaro asked jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro for 61 million reais ($12 million) to produce a film titled "The Dark Horse" about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. The website also suggested Bolsonaro requested more funds after an initial payment.
Vorcaro, the former CEO of the now-shuttered Banco Master, is at the center of a fraud and graft scandal. He is accused of defrauding hundreds of millions of dollars from the bank's approximately 800,000 clients, including state government pension funds. Brazilian federal police estimate the bank's total fraud at about 12 billion reais ($2.3 billion).
In response to the allegations, Flávio Bolsonaro issued a statement defending his actions. He stated that his request for funds was for private sponsorship of a private film and that no public money was involved. He explicitly denied offering any illegal advantages, intermediating business with the government, or receiving money.