The Central Bank approved the transfer of control of Banco Voiter to Augusto Lima, an ex-partner of Banco Master, in July 2025, despite suspicions of fraud in credit portfolios already raised by the agency in March of that year. Lima was arrested in November during Operation Compliance Zero for involvement in a fraudulent scheme linked to Bahian associations. The case highlights contradictions in the BC's regulatory analysis amid ongoing investigations.
The Central Bank (BC) authorized, on July 24, 2025, the transfer of control of Banco Voiter (formerly Indusval) to businessman Augusto Lima, which ended 2024 with R$ 7.5 billion in assets and had been controlled by Banco Master since February 2024. Under Lima, the bank changed to Banco Pleno, focused on companies. This approval came shortly after the BC reported to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF), on July 15, indications of crimes in sales of Banco Master's payroll loan portfolios to BRB, involving an atypical flow of R$ 12.2 billion in the first months of 2025. Suspicions arose in March 2025, when Master attributed the origin of the funds to Bahian associations like Asteba and Asseba, which the BC concluded lacked financial capacity for such amounts. Lima, from Salvador (BA), had been a partner in Master since 2020, with expertise in payroll loans via Credcesta, and was arrested on November 17, 2025, along with controller Daniel Vorcaro in Operation Compliance Zero. Both are released with electronic ankle monitors and will be summoned for depositions from January 26 to 28, 2026. The arrest warrant, by Judge Ricardo Leite, highlights that Lima indirectly controlled the Bahian associations, with power of attorney to act with financial institutions and the same contact phone as his company in the Federal Revenue. After the arrest, the BC removed Lima from the daily operations of Pleno, which continues to operate. Lima's defense denies any link to the frauds, stating his exit from Master occurred in May 2024. On the same day as the approval for Lima, the BC denied the transfer of Letsbank to another ex-partner, Maurício Quadrado, due to failure to prove financial capacity. Experts criticize the decision, such as José Andrés Lopes da Costa, who warns of risks of interposed third parties in sensitive investigations. The BC does not comment due to secrecy but states that decisions have legal basis under CMN Resolution No. 4,970/2021.
