New Attorney-General says senator has no credibility to accuse Rousseff and Lula

New Attorney-General José Eduardo Cardozo said Thursday (Mar. 3) that senator Delcídio do Amaral “has no credibility” to make accusations. Cardozo was referring to the news article published by weekly magazine Isto É, according to which the senator—who spent over 80 days in jail for hampering investigations—said in his testimonies that President Dilma Rousseff and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva were aware of the corruption scheme at Petrobras.

“I'm not sure if there is indeed a plea bargain in the first place. If so, senator Delcídio, with whom I've always had an excellent relationship, was less than truthful.”

Cardozo confirmed that some of the members of the governing base received messages from Delcídio in which he threatened to retaliate in case they failed to help him out of jail. “It's highly probable that it's retaliation we're dealing with, especially because of his previous warning.”

Delcídio do Amaral was the government's Senate leader when he was arrested under Operation Car Wash, on November 25, after a recording emerged in which he offers former Petrobras director Nestor Cerveró a monthly $13 thousand plus an escape plan in exchange for Cerveró not to agree to a plea bargain deal with the Prosecution Office. A member of the Workers' Party (PT), the senator temporarily resigned.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira

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