Judge Moro Validates Rent Receipts Presented By Ex-President Lula

02/08/2018 - 10h25

In a victory for the defense of former president of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday, February 7, Judge Sergio Moro ruled that the receipts presented by Lula as evidence to prove the rent paid to businessman Glaucos da Costamarques are not "materially" forged.

This means that Judge Moro does not believe the receipts were not adulterated; however, they do not necessarily prove that the rent was paid, which will be analyzed later.

Judge Moro stressed that Costamarques himself, identified by prosecutors as a straw man used by Lula to purchase an apartment next to that of the former president in São Bernardo do Campo (SP), admitted to signing the receipts.

Earlier Judge Moro had warned that there were doubts regarding a necessary expert's opinion on the receipts, as it could not prove an alleged false representation. In his decision, Moro repeated that the expert's opinion proved to be "useless."

"In the best case scenario, the opinion could only confirm that part of the receipts was signed untimely; however, this would not lead to the conclusion that the rent was not paid."

In the penal proceedings, Lula is a defendant accused of receiving bribes from construction company Odebrecht to purchase an apartment as well as a piece of land for the Lula Institute in São Paulo.

The Prosecutor General's Office says that the apartment was purchased by Odebrecht through Costamarques. The office also says that the apartment was allegedly occupied by the former president, who never paid rent for it.

MAN OF THE YEAR

On Wednesday, February 7, Judge Sergio Moro was elected Person of the Year by the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce.

In an official statement, disclosed weeks after Lula's conviction, the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce highlighted Moro's work in the mensalão case as well as his leadership in the Car Wash (Lava Jato) operation, pointing that Moro had been chosen as one of the 2016 personalities by Time magazine.

He was also on Fortune magazine's list of major world leaders.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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	MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP
	Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reacts during a meeting with intellectuals in Rio