Federal lawmakers Rogério Correia (PT-MG) and Lindbergh Farias (PT-RJ) filed a formal petition with the Federal Police on Wednesday, January 29, requesting that the legislative actions of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) regarding the General Environmental Licensing Law be incorporated into existing investigations concerning his relationship with Banco Master controller Daniel Vorcaro. According to the petition submitted by the deputies, the legislative push around article 58 of Law No. 15.190/2025 shares a direct relevance with ongoing inquiries into the dark horse case and other probes tied to the banker.
Legislative Timeline of Article 58
According to the filing, Flávio Bolsonaro participated in every decisive stage that allowed article 58 to enter into force. First, the senator voted in favor of the overarching General Environmental Licensing Law text, which contained the contested provision. He then introduced amendments 157, 158, and 159 to Provisional Measure No. 1.308/2025 to reintroduce the rule after an initial presidential veto. Finally, he voted to override the veto, anchoring the article permanently into national legislation.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva originally vetoed the provision upon sanctioning the law because he concluded it improperly restricted financing institution accountability and created legal uncertainty. The National Congress subsequently overrode that veto in November 2025. Investigators note that Banco Master held operations and assets in segments directly impacted by these changes, including mining, critical minerals, and carbon credits.
Did You Know? Before the approval of article 58, banks and financial backers could be held liable for environmental damages if they failed to exercise due diligence when financing potentially polluting projects. The new rule limited financial institution obligations primarily to verifying environmental licenses at the initial credit contracting phase.
Parallels to Operation Compliance Zero
Lawmakers argue that this legislative sequence mirrors patterns previously mapped out by investigators. In the Operation Compliance Zero probe, the Federal Police concluded that a proposed amendment concerning the Credit Guarantee Fund was drafted by Banco Master staff before a congressional representative formally introduced it. The petition asks the Federal Police to run metadata examinations on amendments 157, 158, and 159, cross-checking those files against material seized during Operation Compliance Zero.
Federal Deputy Rogério Correia criticized the connections outlined in the new filing. “The promiscuous relationship between the Bolsonaro family and Banco Master is already known, and every day new elements emerge that reinforce this scheme,” Correia stated. Federal Deputy Lindbergh Farias echoed those concerns to reporters, arguing that the timing aligns directly with financial and personal ties between the senator and Daniel Vorcaro.
Requested Federal Police Diligences
The petition asks authorities to execute several specific investigative steps to determine if a broader influence scheme existed. Lawmakers requested information requests sent to the Central Bank and the liquidator of Banco Master regarding the institution’s exposure to mining, critical minerals, and carbon credits. Furthermore, the filing urges investigators to cross-reference the legislative timeline with banking, fiscal, telephone, and telematic data already collected.
The document also suggests formally hearing testimony from Flávio Bolsonaro, Daniel Vorcaro, Fabiano Zettel, and other individuals deemed relevant by the Federal Police. These testimonies and data cross-checks aim to clarify whether the legislative changes regarding environmental licensing connect directly to other disputed transactions, such as R$ 1,5 milhão in invoices issued by a law office tied to the senator to firms linked to the surroundings of Daniel Vorcaro.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did article 58 change regarding environmental laws?
The article altered financial institution liability by limiting a bank’s obligation to verifying environmental licenses when issuing credit, removing the duty to monitor the ongoing environmental compliance of financed projects outside specific exceptions.
Which lawmakers filed the new petition?
Federal Deputies Rogério Correia (PT-MG) and Lindbergh Farias (PT-RJ) filed the notícia de fato with the Federal Police on Wednesday, January 29.
What specific evidence do lawmakers want analyzed?
The petition requests metadata forensics on amendments 157, 158, and 159, comparisons with materials from Operation Compliance Zero, Central Bank records on Banco Master’s asset exposure, and a cross-check of phone, tax, and banking data.
What financial or institutional connections between political figures and corporate entities warrant closer scrutiny by oversight authorities?