Brazil's Attorney General's Office (AGU) requests that the Federal Police investigate Eduardo Bolsonaro and his allies for spreading fake news against Banco do Brasil.
The government sees a risk of a "bank run" and accuses Bolsonaro supporters of orchestrating a criminal campaign to destabilize a public financial institution.
247 - The Attorney General's Office (AGU) forwarded to the Federal Police, this Monday (25), a request for investigation into the dissemination of false information involving Banco do Brasil on pro-Bolsonaro social networks. The measure was taken after BB itself filed a criminal complaint pointing to criminal practices attributed to Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), Congressman Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO) and lawyer Jeffrey Chiquini, among other allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro. reported the newspaper O Globo.
According to the Attorney General's Office (AGU) official document, the digital offensive sought to sow distrust against the public bank through rumors about alleged international sanctions linked to the Magnitsky Act, which supposedly affected the institution for being responsible for paying the salaries of Supreme Federal Court (STF) justices. One of the targets was allegedly Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who was included on the sanctions list by the United States.
Risk of financial chaos
The Attorney General's Office (AGU) warned that the dissemination of the messages aimed to induce customers to withdraw funds en masse, a practice that could trigger a "bank run" with serious consequences for the national economy.
"There is evidence of a coordinated effort to disseminate mass publications that seek to terrorize society with the imminent prospect of a system collapse," says the note sent to the Federal Police command.
The agency also highlighted that the actions seek not only to attack Banco do Brasil, but also to pressure financial agents and constrain the Supreme Federal Court (STF), "turning public opinion against the judicial body in its typical role."
Complaint against Banco do Brasil
In its document, Banco do Brasil classified the facts as "extremely serious" and cited possible crimes against national sovereignty, the democratic rule of law, the national financial system, as well as defamation and violation of banking secrecy.
The bank reported that it received questions from customers concerned about the veracity of the messages, which even suggested a possible bankruptcy of the institution. “The possible and undesirable consequences are also [very serious], if they are not immediately prevented, avoided and severely repressed,” says the text sent on Friday (22).
Names mentioned and reactions
Among the profiles mentioned are posts by Eduardo Bolsonaro, Gustavo Gayer, and lawyer Jeffrey Chiquini — the latter of whom recorded videos recommending that account holders withdraw money and sell shares in the bank.
According to Globo, which consulted the lawyer, Chiquini stated that his statement referred only to "reallocation of investments in stocks," something that "every investor does." He maintained that his statements are based on his interpretation of American law.
