Vorcaro's defense seeks house arrest, but return to prison likely

The defense for banker Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master, has formally requested house arrest from Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça. This move comes as Vorcaro faces the imminent possibility of his plea deal being rejected, a development that could see him transferred from a special cell at the Federal Police headquarters back to a common prison.

The request was submitted last week, prior to the Prosecutor General's Office (PGR) officially recommending the rejection of Vorcaro's plea bargain. The PGR also argued against house arrest, stating that no new facts warrant a change in his current detention conditions. Vorcaro was initially arrested in early March and held in a maximum-security federal prison in Brasília before being moved to a special cell at the Federal Police Superintendency for approximately three months during plea deal negotiations.

Justice Mendonça, as the reporting justice, will decide Vorcaro's next location. The Federal Police have requested Vorcaro's removal from the Brasília superintendency but have not specified an alternative detention site, a stance mirrored by the PGR. Potential destinations include a return to the maximum-security federal prison or transfer to the Papuda prison complex.

Vorcaro's defense had previously attempted to secure a spot in Papudinha, a section of Papuda reserved for former police and military personnel, which offers better conditions than standard cells. However, this is considered unlikely, especially with former BRB president Paulo Henrique Costa already housed there.