‘Phantom’ Treasurer Allegedly Moved R$83 Million for Bolsonaro Film Ally’s NGO

The Federal Police (PF) investigation into a sprawling public funds scandal that touches a major pro-Bolsonaro film and a sitting Federal Deputy has zeroed in on a "phantom" treasurer who allegedly moved R$83 million for the group in a single year, only to claim he never actually performed the job.

The probe, dubbed Operation Make Up, targets film producer Karina Ferreira da Gama, the head of the non-governmental organization Instituto Conhecer Brasil (ICB), and the producer of the film 'Dark Horse' about former President Jair Bolsonaro. The focus intensified after investigators uncovered that Vanderlei Magalhães Natividade, formally listed as the ICB’s treasurer with powers to move all accounts, is an electrician who lives in the working-class suburb of Brasilândia, São Paulo. Natividade told authorities he only “lent his data” to his cousin, Gama, 12 years ago to help create the ICB and never had access to the entity's accounts, despite judicial documents showing he moved more than R$83 million between September 2023 and August 2024.

The high-value movement is at the heart of the PF and Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU) investigation, which is looking for links between the ICB and the financing of 'Dark Horse.' The ICB secured a massive R$108 million (approximately US$20 million) contract from the São Paulo City Hall for the "WiFi Livre SP" public internet program, which has since been suspended by order of the Supreme Federal Court (STF). Investigators suspect that public money meant for the municipal contract may have been improperly diverted to Go Up Entertainment, the production company behind the film 'Dark Horse,' which is set to recount Mr. Bolsonaro's political trajectory.

Also implicated is Federal Deputy Mário Frias (PL-SP), a former cabinet member for Mr. Bolsonaro and the executive producer of 'Dark Horse.' The PF is examining whether R$2 million in parliamentary amendments—budgetary funds lawmakers can steer to chosen recipients—were channeled by Frias to the ICB and another NGO linked to Gama. The investigation's core premise is that a sophisticated financial structure, possibly involving money laundering, was in place before the film's production, and that Frias leveraged this network for both political and financial benefit.

The attorney for Ms. Gama maintains her client’s innocence and states that she was unaware of the origin of the film’s funding, a defense that became public after STF Justice Flávio Dino lifted the secrecy on the investigation documents. The widening probe illustrates the ongoing entanglement of political and private interests in Brazil, particularly those connected to the former president, as authorities follow the money trail from public contracts in São Paulo to a major international film production. Natividade has been prohibited from leaving the country while the investigation continues.