Ex-BRB's accusation worries those around Flávio Bolsonaro

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) would have held tough conversations with those closest to him, ensuring that there is nothing more discreditable that could arise until the elections. The investigation was carried out by CNN anchor Débora Bergamasco on CNN 360°.

Débora spoke with members of the pre-campaign and allies of Flávio Bolsonaro, and, according to her, although the pre-candidate has assured tranquility to his close circle - without new scares like the one that occurred with the revelation of his hitherto hidden relationship with Daniel Vorcaro, from Banco Master -, Paulo Henrique Costa's possible collaboration with the authorities represents a point of attention.

Financing and interest rates below the market
Paulo Henrique Costa is in prison as a result of the Banco Master scandal.

The fear of Flávio Bolsonaro's allies is that, as part of a pre-negotiation of a plea bargain, Costa will be pressured to talk about a R$3.1 million loan he granted to the senator during his tenure at BRB.

The amount was used to purchase a mansion valued at around R$6 million, located in Lago Sul, an upscale neighborhood of Brasília. The financing was granted in 2021, with an interest rate of 3.71% per year - below the average practiced by the market and by BRB itself at the time, which was around 4.85%.

At the time, the case generated questions, but Flávio Bolsonaro declared a monthly income of R$56,000 and stated that he had the financial capacity to cover the financing, coming from his salary in the Senate and other sources of income.

The logic of the plea bargain and the fear of the environment
According to the investigation, Paulo Henrique Costa was already in the pre-negotiation phase for a plea bargain.

The reasoning that worries Flávio's allies is that, in order not to be at a disadvantage in relation to Daniel Vorcaro - who, according to the investigation, would have much more information to offer the authorities -, Costa would need to hand over elements beyond what Vorcaro is willing to reveal. In this scenario, the financing history could be resumed.

The concern is that Costa, under pressure from the Federal Police and the Attorney General's Office, will take the accusation down a path that harms Flávio Bolsonaro in some way.

It is worth remembering that Paulo Henrique Costa would have been nominated for the presidency of the BRB by Ciro Nogueira, who was very close to Jair Bolsonaro's government.

Potential for political wear and tear
Allies assess that the possible denunciation does not necessarily represent a "silver bullet" against Flávio Bolsonaro, but rather another layer of political wear, requiring new explanations from the pre-candidate.

Flávio, in turn, maintains that the financing is regularly paid by him every month.

The texts generated by artificial intelligence on CNN Brasil are made based on video cuts from the newspapers in its programming. All information is investigated and checked by journalists. The final text is also reviewed by the CNN journalism team. Click here to find out more.

Source: CNN