Tapes hint at aid for former Brazilian president in legal woes

Tapped phone calls between former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and prominent public figures suggest attempts were made to curry favour for the former leader in his judicial woes, according to the magistrate in charge of the corruption investigation at Brazil’s state-run Petrobras oil firm.

Judge Sergio Moro released nearly 50 recordings, hours after current president Dilma Rousseff appointed Mr Silva as her chief of staff — a move that critics called an attempt to help shield him from potential detention as part of the corruption probe.

In his filing, Mr Moro justified the release by saying democracies “demand that the people know what their officials are doing, even when they attempt to act under the cover of shadow”.

He also stressed there was no indication the attempts to secure favours for Mr Silva bore fruit, but the day’s rollercoaster of events seemed to stoke more anger at Mr Silva, Ms Rousseff, and the governing Workers’ Party.

Police used tear gas and stun grenades against an estimated 5,000 anti-government protesters who massed at Congress late on Wednesday. Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro also experienced protests.

In the southern city of Curitiba, where Mr Moro is based, hundreds gathered in front of the court to show support for the magistrate and his ‘Car Wash’ investigation into a corruption scheme at Petrobras that prosecutors say involved billions in bribes. On Sunday, 3m people turned out for anti-government demonstrations nationwide.

Mr Silva’s appointment is being widely viewed as a way to shield him from his legal woes because under Brazilian law, only the Supreme Court can authorise the investigation, imprisonment, and trial of Cabinet members and legislators.

That special judicial status now applies to Mr Silva because his appointment has appeared in a special edition of the government’s official gazette.

In his filing, made public late on Wednesday along with nearly 50 recordings, Mr Moro said: “I observe that in some dialogues, there is talk apparently of attempting to influence or obtain help from officials in the public prosecutor’s office or the magistrate in favour of the ex-president.”

However, he added: “There is no indication inside or outside the dialogues that those mentioned in fact proceeded in an inappropriate manner. From the tenor of the taped conversations, it is clear that the ex-president already knew or at least suspected he was being taped.”

In a twist, recordings appeared to have been made after Mr Moro ordered the tapping stopped.

Police said they requested phone companies halt the taps as soon as they received Mr Moro’s order but it may have taken time to be implemented. The police said it was Mr Moro’s decision on which recordings to include in the probe.