In the context of the massive investigation that may end decimating the Brazilian political elite, Judge Sérgio Moro initiated a new judicial process against former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula had already been found guilty in five previous trials and sentenced by Moro to almost 10 years of prison –a decision objected by the Prosecutor General’s Office on an appeal presented on July 31st to request a longer sentence. The accused, so far free pending appeal. continues to proclaim his innocence
This sixth case has many points of contact with the preceding one, where Lula was found guilty of accepting bribes from engineering firm OAS for a total amount of 3.7 million reais, spent by the company on the remodeling of a beach apartment for Lula in return for his help winning contracts with the Brazilian state. Now the accusation involves an additional million reais (320,000 US dollars) of bribes used to reform a country home in Atibaia, near Sao Paulo.
Information leading to the new process would have been provided by executives from builder Odebrecht SA and engineering firm OAS SA, as a result of plea-bargain deals. Lula’s defense denies his ownership of the property, registered in the name of two businessmen. The prosecution maintains that the president, who frequently makes use of it, owns it de facto
