Ex president Lula to testify over attempt to interfere with probe

Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is due to testify before Judge Ricardo Soares Leite in a Federal Court in Brasília today (March 14). He is accused of trying to interfere with the “Car Wash” corruption investigation.

His defense confirmed his attendance at the Brasília Federal Court Tuesday. Lula had asked permission to testify by videoconference from his home São Paulo, but his request was turned down by the judge.

The hearing is open to public scrutiny, but the Federal Court at the Federal District (DF) decided to put up a special scheme for Lula's testimony with strict entry controls.

The Federal District Military Police decided to close off the street adjacent to the court for security purposes and to prevent demonstrations from Lula's supporters or opposers close to the building.

Lula is answering charges along with cattle rancher José Carlos Bumlai, banker André Esteves, former senator Delcídio do Amaral and three other suspects. The prosecutors claim they were trying to buy the silence of former Petrobras International director Nestor Cerveró, and prevent him from signing a plea bargaining agreement with Car Wash scandal investigators.

The charges—the first pressed against Lula in the Car Wash scandal—were accepted last July. All the defendants denied the allegations.

Former senator Delcídio do Amaral was arrested in November of 2015, when he was the government leader in Senate under the administration of Dilma Rousseff, after having one of his conversations in his office recorded by Nestor Cerveró's son Bernardo. Amaral was exposed suggesting an escape plan for the former Petrobras director, in which Cerveró would exit Brazil via Paraguay. He also offered Cerveró's family $15,850. According to federal prosecutors, it was an attempt to prevent Cerveró from blowing the whistle on Amaral, Lula, Esteves, and Bumlai over the  Petrobras corruption scandal.

Translated by Mayra Borges