BRASILIA, July 9 (Reuters) - Brazil's Federal Police launched an operation targeting executive Thiago Miranda, who had been hired by banker Daniel Vorcaro to run a communications campaign in defense of the now-defunct lender Banco Master, a court ruling showed on Thursday.
The latest phase of the Master probe added to a widening scandal. Vorcaro was arrested in March after Brazil's central bank liquidated the lender last year due to a liquidity crisis. His downfall has exposed a network of influence and undercut trust in public officials.
Police suspicions for Thursday's operation included attacks on the central bank and the preparation of a dossier on Milton Maluhy Filho, CEO at lender Itau Unibanco, according to the ruling by Supreme Court Justice Andre Mendonca.
The judge authorized the seizure of electronic devices such as computers and cell phones, as well as documents, accounting records, cash and other evidence found at several addresses linked to Miranda.
Mendonca said officials found evidence suggesting Miranda was responsible for hiring influencers to defend Master and criticize the central bank. He also may have been involved in attempts to intimidate journalists and unlawfully monitor individuals.
Owner of a communications agency, Miranda had until now been treated as a witness in the Master probe. He had provided information to officials on Vorcaro's past attempts to defend the lender.
However, messages exchanged between Miranda and the banker led investigators to conclude that the executive was responsible for gathering information on some of Vorcaro's targets, including the Itau CEO and a prominent journalist.
Miranda could not be reached for comment by Reuters nor was it possible to identify or contact his legal representatives. Itau declined to comment.
(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia; Writing by Fernando Cardoso; Editing by David Gregorio)
