Brazil’s Lula Gets 9+Years for Corruption
HAVANA TIMES – The once highly popular Workers Party leader and two-term Brazilian president, Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva, was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison on Wednesday for his role in the massive corruption scandals that have rocked the entire political class of the South American giant.
According to Reuters, Lula will remain free on appeal but was dealt a serious blow to his making a new presidential run next year.
The judge in the case, Sergio Moro, found Lula guilty of taking the equivalent of US $1.2 million in bribes from an engineering firm in return for his help in winning contracts with the Petrobras state oil company. The prosecutors said the money was spent by the company in refurbishing a beach apartment for Lula.
The former president (2003-2010), who at one point had an 83% approval rating, is also being accused of being the mastermind of a long term corruption scheme uncovered in a probe of kickbacks around Petrobras, noted Reuters.
Lula has repeatedly said he is the victim of a partisan witch hunt for political reasons. The judge denies the accusation.
As defence lawyer for the corrupt “Socialist Leaders” Kennedy Earle Clarke, you just don’t make it!
Are you basing your defence argument upon socialist/communist politicians being morally equivalent to the purest driven snow or is your defence of them merely that of supporting anything that reflects Marx/Leninism?
I note you give credit to the USA for being responsible for the prosecution of your clients.
How fortunate they are that they are not being tried in Cuba, where under “Socialismo” law one is guilty until proven innocent.
LULA, is the victim of a Judicial Conspiracy. They are out to get rid of all the Socialist Leaders who work in the interest of the Masses of the population. Next, it will be Dilma. In Venezuela, they are trying their utmost to get rid of Maduro. Who makes up the opposition in Brazil and Venezuela, isn’t it the rich people? Look at the Social changes that Lula brought to the country? Look at the many illiterate children were able to access a proper education? Look at the number of persons who were able to access free medical attention? Lula is very popular and, were he to run for election in the next round of elections he would win handsomely; so, halt his political threat to the oligarchs. And who is behind all these shenanigans? It is the anti-workers, anti-socialist country and its right winged oligarchs-THE USA! It is quite eveident even for the blindest man to see!!
Yet another example of real world socialist leadership. They always sound great at first. Castro did, Allende did, Kirchner did, Chávez did. But soon after real power comes, so comes the corruption. Probably it was there sooner. Former President Mujica, of Uruguay, so far, seems to be the exception.
Now we wait for Dilma, the Petrobras saga is far from over. Just imagine, socialists involved in corruption! Was all the $5 billion that Lula provided for the development of Mariela used for that purpose?