Supreme Court allows Federal Police to hear ex-president Lula
Minister Teori Zavascki 
Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki granted on Friday (Oct. 2) permission to the Federal Police to hear ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former ministers and politicians from a number of political parties brought under investigation as part of Operation Car Wash. In the ruling, Zavascki explains that, even though Lula and the erstwhile ministers are not targeted by the probes, they are being asked to give testimony “as informants.”
The decision was backed by Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot. Minister Zavascki has given 80 days for all inquiries to be concluded. The testimonies are part of the biggest case opened in Operation Car Wash at the top court and probes into criminal conspiracy allegations involving politicians accused of receiving bribes in a corruption scheme at Petrobras.
According to the Federal Police, the testimonies proved necessary after allegations arose implicating congressmen who were once members of Lula's governing base. “It is therefore necessary to add to the case file the statements of Brazil's then highest authority, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as an opportunity for him to present his version of the facts under investigation, which involve members of his former government base,” the Federal Police declared.
Ex-President Lula da Silva
Furthermore, the police intends to hear executives from companies that made donations to congressmen from three political parties. The Federal Police also requested permission to hear Ideli Salvatti, former Minister at the Secretariat for Institutional Relations; Gilberto Carvalho, ex-Minister at the Secretariat-General of the Presidency; and José Dirceu, who was Chief of Staff.
In a statement, the Lula Institute, founded by the ex-president, remarked that Justice Zavascki's decision is in line with the prosecutor-general's view that Lula cannot be brought under investigation “as there are no reasons for doing that. The former president had always been at the service of the authorities, collaborating in the search for the truth. If requested, he will do as required as a civic duty,” the note read.
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Supreme Court allows Federal Police to hear ex-president Lula
