Pre-defeat of Messias, Alcolumbre sought to shield Lula against Master, says newspaper
Two weeks before the unprecedented rejection of Jorge Messias’ nomination to the Federal Supreme Court (STF), the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), reportedly sought out President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to express concern about investigations conducted by the Federal Police and the possible consequences of the denunciation of Daniel Vorcaro, former controller of Banco Master. The information comes from journalist Malu Gaspar, from the newspaper The Globe.
According to reports made by the senator’s allies to the publication, Alcolumbre told Lula that he had been the target of “unfair persecution” and demonstrated specific concern with the content of the award-winning collaboration delivered this Wednesday (6) by Vorcaro to the Federal Police and the Attorney General’s Office (PGR).
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According to interlocutors, Alcolumbre stated that the accusation could bring “lies and injustices” against him and asked the president for help to avoid being affected by the investigations.
According to reports, Lula responded that he would not be able to interfere in investigative bodies or the Judiciary. The president reportedly said that he does not control the actions of the Federal Police, the Federal Public Ministry or the Federal Supreme Court, adding that the general director of the PF, Andrei Rodrigues, had been acting responsibly to avoid excesses.
The conversation began to be reinterpreted at Palácio do Planalto after the defeat suffered by the government in the Senate. On April 29, Jorge Messias became the first nominee for the STF barred by the House’s plenary in more than a century. Behind the scenes of the government, members close to Lula began to see the articulation led by Alcolumbre as a political reaction to the progress of investigations linked to the Banco Master case.
In addition to Vorcaro’s accusation, the president’s assistants told the newspaper that the senator is closely following other investigative fronts that could affect his political environment, including the discovered deviations in the INSS and investments of around R$400 million from the Amapá pension fund in financial bills issued by Banco Master.
The plea proposal submitted by Vorcaro began to be analyzed this week by the PF and the PGR. As previously revealed by CNNthe material is divided into annexes organized by political and business figures. Investigators expect the preliminary analysis to take more than two months before the deal is eventually formalized.
When contacted, Alcolumbre denied having dealt with Banco Master with Lula. In a note sent by his advisor, the president of the Senate stated that “he never discussed Banco Master with President Lula, much less made any complaint or allegation in this regard”.
The note also states that Alcolumbre “does not have any relationship with Banco Master and is not investigated, cited or included, in any way, in any investigation related to the case”.
The senator’s office also criticized what it called “subjective interpretations and behind-the-scenes rumors” used to associate him with the investigations.
