Federal Judge's Lecture a Big Success Along Side Pop and Country Music

09/22/2016 - 12h05

Accustomed to seeing pop and country music show programming, in Novo Hamburgo (RS) they spent their time Wednesday night (the 21st) with an uncommon presentation for the venue: the lecture "Confronting Systematic Corruption" with Federal Judge Sergio Moro.

The magistrate, who is overseeing cases in the Lava Jato (Car Wash) operation, usually speaks to audiences with law or other university degrees, but this time he spoke to a public most likely a little more heterogenic - more than 1,500 people who accessed the site "Ingresso Rápido" and were willing to pay between R$60 and R$ 90 (US$ 18 - 28) to hear him speak for 1 and 1/2 hours.

The site has flagship shows and theatre pieces, but the experiment with judge Moro seems to have been a big commercial success. Tickets ran out in 72 hours, according to an aide from Group Sinos, the organizer of the event.

Moro has said previously that the number of invitations to speak in Brazil and internationally have significantly increased since his fame was elevated due to his participation in the Petrobras corruption investigation.

In the majority of cases, however, the presentations are for free and held at universities or events directed towards the legal or business communities.

Before Novo Hamburgo, for example, the judge had been in Pennsylvania (USA) where he spoke at a university.

According to Moro himself, one of his objectives in speaking publicly at these events is to send a message to the private sector.

"I have agreed to give lectures to business entities, and it has been a little tiring due to the schedule, but I think it's important that I send a message, an obvious one, that it [corruption] isn't only a governmental problem, but a problem of the company that pays bribes", he told Folha in August.

Grupo Sinos didn't respond when asked if they paid Moro a cache for speaking.

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

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