Lulinha’s defense says PF report on Mendonça’s ‘direction’ should lead to case dismissal

The defense of Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, the eldest son of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, says a Federal Police intelligence report has reinforced its claims that the investigation against him was improperly directed. In a statement released Friday night, the lawyers said the findings should lead to the case being dismissed.

The report reportedly criticized the investigative team for producing documents that mentioned Lulinha and pointed to an “absence of basis” for treating him as a suspect. The defense said the material also raised questions about the legitimacy and limits of investigations involving Lulinha and other targets of two operations.

“This contamination had already been questioned by the defense and was now corroborated by the Federal Police intelligence reports made public yesterday, containing observations about the illegitimacy, limits and direction of investigations, recorded by the investigative structure itself,” lawyer Guilherme Suguimori said.

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This contamination had already been questioned by the defense and was now corroborated by the Federal Police intelligence reports made public yesterday, containing observations about the illegitimacy, limits and direction of investigations, recorded by the investigative structure itself.

The defense added that Lulinha remains available to the authorities and will prove his innocence in the proceedings. It said the reports should result in the definitive dismissal of the investigations if allegations of illegality, bias and political direction are confirmed.

Lulinha became a target after the Federal Police identified a relationship between him and businessman Antônio Camilo Antunes, known as the “INSS Scarface,” who is suspected of leading a diversion scheme. Investigators also found that Antunes paid lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger, a friend of Lulinha, to help broker business with the federal government. The article says the case became a major point of tension between the Federal Police and the office of Supreme Federal Court Justice André Mendonça.

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Fábio Luís Lula da Silva remains available to the authorities and will prove his innocence in the proceedings, but maintains confidence that the judiciary will not turn a blind eye to illegalities, bias and political direction which, if confirmed, require the definitive dismissal of the investigations.