Deputy Sâmia Bomfim Files Forgery Complaint Against Nikolas Ferreira Over Master Bank Document

Federal Deputy Sâmia Bomfim (PSOL-SP) has filed a formal complaint with Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office accusing Deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) of spreading a forged document on his social media channels. The document, falsely presented as an official Federal Police report, claimed that there was no evidence of wrongdoing in conversations between Ferreira and Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master, which is at the centre of the country’s largest financial fraud investigation.

According to Bomfim’s submission, the forged paper sought to exonerate Ferreira amid ongoing probes into the Master Bank case, a scheme that has implicated numerous politicians and business figures in illicit enrichment and money‑laundering. Ferreira initially shared the document, but after acknowledging its inauthenticity he removed the post. Under Brazil’s Penal Code, falsifying a public document carries a penalty of two to six years’ imprisonment and a fine.

Bomfim stressed that the act undermines the public’s right to accurate information, especially during an election year in which Ferreira is seeking re‑election. She urged the Attorney General’s Office to open an investigative proceeding, adopt measures to preserve electoral integrity, and consider the removal of any remaining false content.

The Master Bank scandal, which erupted in 2024, involves alleged illegal credit operations, falsified balance sheets, and the siphoning of billions of reais from the bank’s coffers. Vorcaro, the bank’s owner, has been a focal point of investigations, and his dealings with several legislators have drawn intense scrutiny.

While Ferreira’s retraction limited the document’s reach, Bomfim warned that even brief exposure on a platform with hundreds of thousands of followers can cause significant harm by distorting public perception of an ongoing judicial process.

The complaint adds a new layer to the politically charged atmosphere surrounding the Master Bank inquiry, as opposition lawmakers intensify pressure on allies of the government to account for their ties to the scandal.