Ex-president Lula's defense files high court appeals to put off his hearing

The defense of Brazil's former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva appealed to the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) on Tuesday (May 9) to put off his statement slated for Wednesday (10) in the presence of the lower court judge in charge of the Car Wash corruption probe, Sérgio Moro.

The defense filed three new petitions with the Superior Court on Tuesday evening, one of which was a motion to put the entire case on hold and recuse judge Moro.

The other two requests to the high court were appeals of requests that had been turned down by Moro and the appellate court—a deadline extension to give the defense time to examine evidence related to Petrobras only recently appended to the case, and permission for the defense to make its own video recording of the hearing independently.

Lula will give statement in court this Wednesday answering charges against him in the Car Wash corruption scandal for receiving kickbacks from OAS construction company during his term as president of Brazil. He has been accused of being the “beneficiary” of a beach apartment and the renovation of a country house in São Paulo state.

Translated by Mayra Borges