Lula subpoenaed to testify as rancher's defense witness
Former president Lula 
In a ruling on Friday (Mar. 4), Federal Judge Sérgio Moro subpoenaed former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to testify as a defense witness for José Carlos Bumlai. Lula will be heard via videoconferencing at the São Paulo Court of Justice on March 14. Moro has also slated testimonies of other witnesses called by the rancher's defense for the same day.
The testimonies are part of a criminal case in which Bumlai and ten other suspects investigated under Operation Car Wash were charged with corruption and money laundering.
According to the indictment document filed by the Federal Prosecutor's Office, Bumlai used contracts with Petrobras to repay loans with Schahin bank. According to prosecutors, plea bargain statements revealed that the intended beneficiary of the $3.18 million loan was the Workers' Party (PT) and the repayment was facilitated through a contract with a Schahin Group construction company to operate a Petrobras drillship in 2009.
Since the first allegations emerged, the Workers' Party has maintained that all of the donations received by the party are legal and have been appropriately reported to the authorities. Schahin Group says that the contract model for the drillships was also used by Petrobras for all competitors who provided similar services.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Lula subpoenaed to testify as rancher's defense witness
