Brazil’s National Justice Council (CNJ) has ordered the cancellation of 16 court-ordered payments, known as precatórios, totaling R$4.7 billion, directing the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region (TRF1) to return the funds and accrued earnings to the National Treasury within five days. The ruling was issued by National Justice Corregidor Benedito Gonçalves following a request from the Attorney General’s Office (AGU).¹

The two accounts agree on the legal basis: the payment orders were issued before the execution phase of the underlying cases had become final, meaning no further appeals were possible. The CNJ found that keeping the money as “blocked precatórios” lacked legal support, and barred any withdrawals, transfers, payment authorizations or attorney-fee allocations until the return is complete.²

The account focused on the Banco Master case highlights the companies behind the sugar-and-ethanol sector claims, including Usina Capricho, Una Agroindustrial and Vale do Ceará Mirim. It says their claims appeared on a list found on the phone of Daniel Vorcaro, Banco Master’s former controlling shareholder, labeled as “precatórios to receive.” It also reports that more than R$16.1 million was improperly withdrawn from one linked judicial account, and that the TRF1 must identify who authorized it and on what grounds.¹

The other account places the ruling within a wider AGU campaign against prematurely issued payment orders. Attorney General Jorge Messias said payments should occur only after final judgment, arguing that this protects public accounts, legal certainty and equal treatment among public creditors.² According to the AGU figures cited, rulings in 2025 and 2026 have canceled R$18.2 billion in such payment requests. The CNJ decision will still be submitted for confirmation by its full council.²