Police investigate financial operator for friend of Lulinha for cash withdrawals and payments

Brazil's Federal Police are investigating a financial operator suspected of facilitating cash withdrawals and payments for lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger. A key focus of the probe is whether this operator paid for flights for Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, the eldest son of President Lula, also known as Lulinha.

Luchsinger and Lulinha are currently under investigation for alleged influence peddling within the government. The Federal Police uncovered communications on Luchsinger's cell phone between her and the operator, identified as Ulisses Barbosa, who also served as her driver. These findings have led the police to inform the Supreme Federal Court (STF) that they intend to further analyze the operator's activities, which could potentially lead to money laundering charges.

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It cannot be said that these payments from the travel agency are related to Fábio's travel payments.

Lulinha's lawyer, Marco Aurélio de Carvalho, has stated that the Federal Police have not proven that cash withdrawals were used for Lulinha's travel expenses. He asserted that his client has no connection to the alleged operator. "It cannot be said that these payments from the travel agency are related to Fábio's travel payments," the lawyer said.

In one transcribed conversation, Luchsinger allegedly instructed the operator to deposit money into a travel agency's account. Investigators suspect she ordered cash deposits to obscure the origin of funds. This payment to the travel agency coincided with a trip taken by both Luchsinger and Lulinha. Previous reports in March indicated suspicions that Luchsinger's funds were used to pay for a travel agency utilized by Lulinha, based on financial intelligence reports. The new findings involving the financial operator provide additional elements to this ongoing investigation.

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Deposit 50 thousand in this account too.