BRASÍLIA, May 14, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Brazilian presidential hopeful Flavio Bolsonaro denied wrongdoing on Wednesday after the release of an audio recording in which he asks for money from a banker jailed over a multi-million dollar fraud scandal.

Daniel Vorcaro was the major shareholder in the small private Master Bank that collapsed last year, sparking a major fraud investigation that has rattled the highest echelons of power in Latin America's largest economy.

The probe has included examination of connections with politicians and judges and has dominated newspaper headlines as Brazil gears up for elections in October.

The audio recording was published by investigative outlet The Intercept Brasil as polls put 45-year-old Bolsonaro neck-and-neck with 80-year-old President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is expected to seek a fourth term.

Bolsonaro is the eldest son of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is in jail for an attempted coup.

"It makes me uncomfortable to be asking you," the politician tells banker Vorcaro in the recording, referring to him as "brother".

The recording, which The Intercept said is from September 8, 2025, relates to a film about Jair Bolsonaro's life that was in production at the time.

"We're at a very decisive moment here with the film. And since there are many overdue payments, everyone is tense," Flavio Bolsonaro says.

- 'Zero public funds' -

According to The Intercept, the audio is part of a series of records documenting a deal in which Vorcaro pledged to contribute $24 million to the film "Dark Horse", in which "The Passion of the Christ" star Jim Caviezel plays Jair Bolsonaro.

Just under half of that amount was actually paid, the publication said.

Bolsonaro said that "zero public funds" were involved in the transaction.

"What happened was that a son sought PRIVATE sponsorship for a PRIVATE film about the life story of his own father," he said in a statement in which he did not dispute the authenticity of the recording.

Bolsonaro said his connection to Vorcaro dates back to 2024, "when there were no public accusations or suspicions regarding the banker."

The banking fraud scandal erupted in November when Master Bank was found to be insolvent and liquidated, leaving more than $7 billion in debt due to some 800,000 investors who were paid out by a deposit guarantee fund.

Vorcaro was first arrested while attempting to leave Brazil aboard a private jet as police investigated financial fraud linked to the collapse.

Leaked messages from the banker's mobile phone, along with other documents related to the case, have revealed that he maintained close ties with several lawmakers and justices from Brazil's Supreme Court.

Lula, who acknowledged meeting with the banker in 2024, has pledged that the investigation would be pursued "to its fullest extent."