Toffoli extends investigation into the Banco Master case amid questions about his exemption

Rapporteur extends PF deadline by 60 days, but doubts grow about conflict of interest

Minister Dias Toffoli, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), extended the Federal Police investigation into fraud at Banco Master for another 60 days. The decision, taken on Friday (16/01), comes amid growing pressure for Toffoli to declare himself prevented from reporting the case, due to links between family members and companies under suspicion in the scheme.

The investigation investigates suspicions of financial crimes involving Banco Master and the Reag Investimentos fund. Recently, the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper revealed that companies linked to Toffoli's brothers and a cousin had a Reag fund as a partner. Furthermore, Estadão reported that the minister's brothers gave a million-dollar stake in a resort to a Reag fund, investigated for harboring webs of funds linked to Master and suspected of billion-dollar tax evasion in the fuel market. The proximity between the minister's family and the company being investigated raises questions about Toffoli's exemption in handling the case.

Toffoli's role in the case has been criticized behind the scenes by the Federal Police (PF) and the Attorney General's Office (PGR). The opposition has already called the PGR to assess possible suspicion of the minister. Folha de S.Paulo requested information about the expenses of Marcelo Ribeiro Pires, a Toffoli security employee, who reportedly spent R$99,600 on daily travel abroad. After the questions, the STF took down the transparency page about tickets and daily allowances, generating more criticism about the lack of transparency in the court.

"The Court discloses the total daily expenses related to security on a monthly basis. These measures are necessary to guarantee the safety and physical integrity of the servers and protected authorities", explains the STF on its website.

Despite the disclosure of total security expenses, the lack of detail about the beneficiaries and the reasons for the trips makes it difficult to social control over public spending. The connection between Toffoli's family members and companies investigated in the Banco Master case, added to the spending on personal security and the lack of transparency, fuels criticism and increases pressure for the minister to distance himself from the case.

The precedent that is being created is dangerous. Toffoli remaining as rapporteur, even with his family ties exposed, could compromise the credibility of the investigation and the STF itself. Society awaits the next chapters, attentive to possible developments and decisions that could influence the future of Brazilian justice.

In the coming days, the PGR should comment on Toffoli's request for suspicion. The PGR's decision and the next steps of the PF investigation will be crucial in determining the future of the Banco Master case and the STF's image in public opinion. Stay tuned for new information about this case.