The senior council of Brazil's Federal Public Ministry, the CSMPF, decides on Friday (25) whether to open a formal review into possible crimes by Paulo Gonet, the prosecutor general of the Republic and head of the country's federal prosecution service. The extraordinary session starts at 10 a.m. in Brasilia. It follows mentions of Gonet in messages sent by banker Daniel Vorcaro, an investigated figure in the Master case, the probe into Banco Master now before the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF). According to news site g1, the matter is unprecedented at the council.
According to the g1, the nine councilors will weigh Gonet's conduct in the investigations of the bank, in the arrest of Vorcaro and in the handling of the Master case, and decide whether the references to him are archived or whether there are enough elements to go deeper. News site Metrópoles reports that the procedure is a notícia de fato, a formal notice, about Gonet's role in cases before the STF, especially petitions 15.556/DF and 16.662/DF, which hold Federal Police reports with Vorcaro messages citing Gonet. The council will also discuss whether Gonet should have recused himself from Master-related cases.
Background
The mentions of Gonet became public in July. Since then, the prosecutor general had been gathering support among subprosecutors and the prosecution rank and file, the g1 reports. The picture changed with the release of a photo showing Gonet next to Vorcaro at a gathering in London: the prosecutor general holds a cigar, with whisky glasses on the table. The g1 says the image was reportedly taken in 2024 after an event and was sent by lawyer Ciro Soares in June 2025. Its publication drew harsh internal criticism of Gonet.
Gonet denies any closeness with the banker. He has said the only connection between the two was "extremely brief and banal". In an official letter to subprosecutor general Francisco de Assis Sanseverino, the rapporteur of the procedure, Gonet said their only in-person meeting took place in April 2024, at a public legal event in London attended by other authorities. As quoted by Metrópoles, he wrote:
"I have no friendship whatsoever with Mr. Daniel Vorcaro, and even less any personal interest in the cases in which he appears as a party or as an investigated person."
His defense argues that attending an event sponsored by a businessman who later became an investigated person does not, by itself, show bias. Allies of Gonet expect a majority of the council to vote for shelving the matter, while councilors critical of the current leadership expect at least tough questions, according to the g1. People close to the prosecutor general who spoke with CNN Brasil political analyst Teo Cury said they are optimistic; councilors he spoke with described "surprise, discomfort and unease" at the messages.
How the session works
The session will be chaired by the council's vice president, subprosecutor general Nicolao Dino, brother of STF Justice Flávio Dino, as reported by CNN Brasil. Gonet is not expected to attend, although he presides over the council. After the opening, rapporteur Sanseverino presents the case, and the councilors vote from the most junior to the most senior. Vice prosecutor general Hindenburgo Chateaubriand takes part in the vote.
If a majority finds grounds to investigate, a subprosecutor general will be designated to examine the material and check for the possible existence of a crime, then report back to the council. If the report finds indications of crime, the facts go to the STF, which decides whether to open a formal investigation; the referral happens because the prosecutor general answers criminally to that court. The next step is Friday's vote (25): either the mentions of Gonet are archived or the review goes deeper.