Gilmar Mendes backs Federal Police chief as Master case reshuffle draws scrutiny

Gilmar Mendes backs Federal Police chief as Master case reshuffle draws scrutiny
Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes has publicly defended Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues after the reassignment of two senior delegates involved in work connected to the Banco Master case intensified tension inside the force.

Mendes’s position is that the dispute is fundamentally about the director-general’s authority to manage the institution. He described Rodrigues, a career delegate of more than two decades, as leading the Federal Police with “integrity and independence,” and argued that administrative changes were legitimate when guided by the public interest. “Andrei’s trajectory leaves no doubt about the propriety of his management decisions,” he wrote, praising the force’s investigative record under Rodrigues.

The two delegates, Daniel Mostardeiro Cola and Wedson Cajé Lopes, had helped prepare reports on messages from former Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro that referred to Justices Alexandre de Moraes, Dias Toffoli and Kassio Nunes Marques. The Justice Ministry has requested formal explanations from the Federal Police leadership over their removal from senior roles in areas covering corruption, financial crime and money laundering.

The accounts agree that Rodrigues and the Federal Police reject the suggestion that the changes interfered with investigations. They differ in emphasis over the response: Mendes frames the episode as a test of the force’s operational independence, citing investigations including Operations Carbono Oculto and Unha e Carne as evidence of its rigor.

Critics take a more cautious view. The National Association of Federal Police Delegates said the explanations for the reshuffle were insufficient and warned that “investigative autonomy cannot depend on the position or influence of people mentioned in an investigation.” The association has also advocated a selection process based on a shortlist chosen by delegates, with fixed terms for the director-general, rather than a presidential appointment.

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