BRASILIA, July 9 - Federal Police launched a targeted operation on executive Thiago Miranda after a court ruling tied him to a communications campaign organized on behalf of the now-defunct lender Banco Master. The court document, issued on Thursday by Supreme Court Justice Andre Mendonca, says Miranda had been hired by banker Daniel Vorcaro to coordinate public messaging defending the collapsed institution.
The operation represents the latest development in an expanding probe into the bank's failure. Vorcaro was arrested in March after Brazil's central bank moved to liquidate Banco Master last year following a liquidity crisis. The case has revealed what authorities describe as a network of influence and has raised questions about public trust in officials.
According to Justice Mendonca's ruling, police suspicions underpinning Thursday's actions included coordinated attacks on the central bank and the preparation of a dossier on Milton Maluhy Filho, the CEO of lender Itau Unibanco. The judge approved seizure orders for electronic devices - including computers and cell phones - as well as documents, accounting records, cash and other evidence found at multiple addresses linked to Miranda.
Mendonca's decision notes investigators located evidence indicating Miranda had arranged for influencers to defend Banco Master while criticizing the central bank. The ruling also states Miranda may have been involved in efforts to intimidate journalists and in unlawful monitoring of certain individuals.
Prior to the operation, Miranda - the owner of a communications agency - had been treated by authorities as a witness in the Master investigation. He had provided officials with information regarding Vorcaro's earlier attempts to publicly defend the lender. However, messages exchanged between Miranda and Vorcaro prompted investigators to reassess Miranda's role.
Those communications led authorities to conclude Miranda was responsible for collecting information on some of Vorcaro's targets, among them the Itau Unibanco CEO and a noted journalist. Reuters was unable to reach Miranda for comment and investigators could not identify or contact his legal representatives. Itau declined to comment on the matter.
Context and next steps
The court-authorized seizures aim to secure digital and physical records for further forensic review. The investigation remains ongoing and the court ruling frames Miranda as a central figure in the communications dimension of the probe.