Lulinha's defense suspects political motives, 'fishing expedition' in new probe

Fabio Luís Lula da Silva, son of Brazilian President Lula, is facing a new inquiry authorized by Supreme Federal Court Minister André Mendonça. His defense team, led by criminal lawyer Guilherme Suguimori Santos, has raised concerns about political motivations and illegal evidence gathering behind the investigation, which was requested by the Federal Police.

The police aim to investigate alleged corruption and influence peddling in the authorization of medicinal cannabis sales, with alleged connections to the Ministry of Health and the presidential cabinet. The defense team argues that if investigators cannot find evidence, they should not create new theories or prolong the case, especially with elections nearing. "Investigation is not an exercise in trial and error. This constitutes what we call a fishing expedition, which is illegal and would expose the political interest behind this peculiar move," stated the lawyer.

Lulinha is reportedly involved in the cannabis business in partnership with businesswoman Roberta Luchsinger and lobbyist Antonio Carlos Camilo Antunes. Investigators are looking into contacts between the targets and public officials. The defense also emphasized their lack of concrete information about the inquiry, questioning its jurisdiction with the Supreme Federal Court and stating that a new investigation unrelated to a previous operation would only show a failure to find any connection between Fabio Luís and past scandals, which they assert never existed.

Roberta Luchsinger's lawyer, Bruno Salles, also expressed a lack of information regarding the new inquiry. He noted that the matters being investigated, including alleged INSS fund mismanagement, have already been subject to ongoing investigations. Salles criticized the idea of a "best of three" investigation, where authorities keep trying until they find something that can be used politically, calling it unprecedented in his career.