Brazil’s former president faces accusers in corruption hearing
BRAZILIAN FORMER president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has given evidence for five hours in a corruption case against him, coming face-to-face for the first time with the federal judge overseeing a mammoth investigation.
The hearing was closed to the press and not broadcast live, two of the many measures taken by Judge Sergio Moro and authorities in the south-eastern city of Curitiba amid fears of violence.
Thousands of supporters, both of Silva and Judge Moro, were separated by a few miles, and hundreds of police in riot gear controlled several blocks around the federal courthouse.
Silva, president between 2003 and 2010, was giving evidence about allegations that he received a beachfront apartment as a kickback from construction company OAS. Prosecutors also allege OAS did repairs to the apartment and paid to store Silva’s belongings.
The former president denies the charges, along with those related to several other cases of corruption against him.
His evidence came after several attempts by his defence team to postpone the hearing. The last appeal, to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, was denied about an hour before his evidence began.
Silva’s defence team argued it needed more time to analyse the case. His opponents countered that it was an excuse to prolong the matter. The defence has also said it wants to call more than 80 witnesses.
Silva, who Brazilians simply call Lula, has reason to drag the process out. He has signalled his interest in running for president in 2018. He would be ineligible if he should be convicted and the conviction was upheld on appeal.
Since it was launched in March 2014, the investigation centred on state oil company Petrobras has led to the convictions of dozens of leading politicians and business executives.
Many more are being investigated in the kickback scheme, which prosecutors say involved nearly £2.5bn in bribes over more than a decade. The probe has also spread beyond Brazil to several other Latin American countries.