Former banker Daniel Vorcaro has signalled his interest in securing a plea bargain during a four-hour testimony to the Brazilian Federal Police.
The statement on Friday was his third attempt to reach an agreement with investigators. He spoke by videoconference from the Papudinha prison in the Federal District, where he has been held since his second arrest in March.
The hearing is part of an inquiry into two former Central Bank employees suspected of favouring Banco Master in exchange for financial advantages. Investigators are trying to determine if the former banker used the civil servants as spies within the institution to obtain privileged information.
It was Vorcaro's first formal statement to investigators since his recent arrest. In a press statement following the hearing, defence lawyers Sérgio Leonardo and Daniel Bialski said their client answered all questions clearly and consistently, leaving no inquiry without clarification.
The lawyers added that the hearing demonstrated there was no corruption involving the Central Bank employees. They said Vorcaro could provide broader and deeper clarification about the events if he is effectively guaranteed the opportunity to collaborate.
Defence team restructuring
Bialski has experience in plea bargain cases and recently joined the defence team led by Leonardo. His objective is to rebuild the relationship with Supreme Federal Court Minister André Mendonça.
The relationship had been damaged during the tenure of Vorcaro's previous lawyer, José Luiz de Oliveira Lima, also known as Juca, who had friction with the minister.
A premise of the discussions between the Vorcaro family and their new lawyer is the search for complete transparency with institutions. If negotiations are reopened, they are expected to take place simultaneously with the police and the Prosecutor General of the Republic.
Both agencies have already rejected two previous proposals from the defence. Investigators concluded that the documents provided by Vorcaro lacked evidence and were insufficient to bring new elements to the case.
Obstacles to an agreement
As reported by CNN, sources within the police and the prosecutor's office have highlighted three issues that have stalled negotiations so far.
The first is the requirement for Vorcaro to admit to the crimes. Prosecutors were reportedly highly irritated because they felt he failed to do so in his previous submissions.
The second obstacle concerns the missing funds. Investigators are questioning the amount to be returned and the whereabouts of the money diverted in the Banco Master fraud, which is estimated to be between 40 billion and 60 billion reais.
The final issue is a lack of new factual information. Police complained that the details Vorcaro has presented so far were already found on more than ten mobile phones seized during the investigation. They stated that the case needs to advance and requires him to bring unprecedented facts.
