São Paulo court sends back request for ‘Dark Horse’ producer’s financial data and demands police evidence

A São Paulo court has refused, for now, to authorize police access to confidential financial intelligence reports linked to the producer of “Dark Horse.” Instead, the State Guarantees Court sent the request back to police with a series of questions about the evidence behind the investigation.

The court asked what documents and indications of wrongdoing investigators had gathered independently of newspaper reports. It tied those clarifications to any future decision on the request, which seeks access to reports prepared by Brazil’s Council for Financial Activities Control, known as Coaf, on Karina Ferreira da Gama’s personal tax number and her production company’s corporate registration.

Coaf reports compile unusual transactions reported by banks, but they do not provide access to bank statements. The investigation began after a submission by prosecutors concerning suspected irregularities in a 108 million-real contract between the Instituto Conhecer Brasil and São Paulo’s municipal government. Police say the services actually delivered, involving Wi-Fi provision, amounted to about 43 million reais, while roughly 69 million reais was transferred to the institute.

A police delegate described “consistent suspicions of asset commingling” between the institute’s accounts and those of Go Up Entertainment, Da Gama’s company. The court’s order also referred to the possibility that some public money went toward private activities connected to the film’s production.

The court cited a March ruling by Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes that established six prior requirements for access to Coaf reports, aimed at preventing broad evidence-gathering investigations known as “fishing expeditions.” The case has also drawn national attention after Justice Flávio Dino ordered police to share evidence with the Federal Police, which is separately investigating the producer over the receipt of parliamentary amendments. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro had said he would present the film’s financial accounts after seeking funding from Banco Master banker Daniel Vorcaro, but has not yet done so.

“

consistent suspicions of asset commingling