The first conviction of the Bolsonaro era | Continue …

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sentenced yesterday again to 12 years and 11 months imprisonment for crimes of bribery and money laundering. The sentence was pronounced by Judge Gabriela Hardt, who replaced former Judge Sergio Moro at the Federal Court of Paraná, when the former magistrate became Minister of Justice of the far right Jair Bolsonaro.

Hardt understood that the OAS and Odebrecht companies had favored the ex-president of the reforms made in a country house that he frequented in the municipality of Atibaia, in the state of San Pablo. According to the survey, said companies would have paid the works of this property, which amounted to 1.26 million reais, according to the complaint, with diverted resources contracts with the state oil company Petrobras. Prosecutors claimed that Lula was running a criminal organization and, they said, consciously and voluntarily, have hidden the origin of the values ​​invested in the country house reforms, property of the businessmen Fernando Bittar and Jonas Subaduna.

"It is possible to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the values ​​to be paid for the reform stemmed from earlier wrongful acts committed for the benefit of society (Odebrecht-OAS) and that Lula was actively involved in this scheme. both to guarantee the reception of the box of the party to which it is bound (Partido de los Trabajadores -PT), as to receive some of the said values ​​for their own benefit, "said the judge, quoted by the newspaper Folha de San Pablo.

Lula's defense alleges, however, that the former president has never been informed of the reforms implemented and that there is no evidence that he asked to carry out these works in exchange for a contract with his administration. In addition, the lawyer of the leader refused to deny that Lula was the secret owner of the house, but he frequented it because he was a friend of the family of Jacó Bittar, father of Fernando Bittar, l & rsquo; One of the owners of the property.

Although the judge bases his decision on the irregularities of the OAS and Odebrecht contracts with Petrobras, verified by the internal audits of the public company and by the confessions of repentant businessmen, he also admits that there is no evidence. Contract payments were used to pay the campaigns or personal expenses of a PT officer.

PT President Gleisi Hoffmann, meanwhile, denounced "that the persecution of Lula does not stop". "A second sentence was handed down just when it is possible that Lula was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.In the memory of the people and in history, Lula will always be bigger than his tormentors," tweeted the senator. .

In the same resolution, Hardt sentenced businessmen, including former OAS President José Adelmario Pinheiro Neto (one year and seven months in prison); Emilio Odebrecht, patriarch of the Odebrecht group (3 years and 3 months in prison) and his son Marcelo Odebrecht (5 years and 4 months of detention).

Lula has already served her sentence since April for another alleged corruption case, although none of the charges against her could be proven during the trial.