Brazil's leftist former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva testified for nearly five hours on Wednesday in a corruption trial that has divided the country and could scupper his chances of a comeback in 2018 elections.
Arguably the country's most popular and controversial politician, Lula is accused of receiving a seaside apartment as a kickback from the OAS construction company.
A guilty verdict and failure of an appeal in this – or four other pending corruption trials – would bar Lula from seeking political office again.
Supporters of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during Lula's testimony in Curitiba, Brazil on May 10, 2017. /VCG Photo
Lula, who was president from 2003-2010 and is seen as a frontrunner to return to power in 2018, could also be sentenced to prison. He dismisses the charges as a political witch hunt.
A ruling by Judge Sergio Moro, who has spearheaded Brazil's biggest-ever corruption probe, is not expected until July.
Brazil's media talked up the court session as a showdown between two of the most powerful men in Brazil. Lula is a giant of the left. Moro, 44, has become a hero for many by going after the rich and powerful, ranging from billionaires to senators.
Police officers stand in front of the Federal Justice during former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's testimony in Curitiba, Brazil on May 10, 2017. /VCG Photo
At the beginning of the court appearance, Moro assured Lula that he would not be "preventively" imprisoned, as some suspects in the investigation have been.
A few minutes later, Moro said that he would have "difficult" questions for Lula.
"There are no difficult questions, sir," Lula responded. "When one speaks the truth, there are no difficult questions."
Lula is the highest-profile defendant in a sprawling corruption probe known as "Operation Car Wash." The investigation centers on construction firms that have already admitted to paying billions in kickbacks in return for lucrative contracts at state-run oil company Petrobras.
The former president has repeatedly said he is innocent of all charges.
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva delivers a speech to supporters in Curitiba, Brazil on May 10, 2017. /VCG Photo
The investigation has greatly expanded since it began three years ago and now encompasses several state-run companies. More than 90 powerful businessmen and politicians have been convicted, and scores of sitting federal congressmen and one-third of President Michel Temer's cabinet are being probed.
Lula got out of a car about a block away from the courthouse on Wednesday, where he was met by supporters chanting "Lula, warrior for the Brazilian people!"
As he made his way to the building, a stern-faced Lula grabbed a Brazilian flag and began waving it high above his head, but made no comments as he pushed through the crowd.
Thousands of Lula supporters have descended on Curitiba, mostly members of activists groups and unions, arriving in chartered buses from across the country. They set up makeshift tents along railroad tracks a few kilometers from the federal courthouse.
"Even if they were to prove that everything he has done was wrong, I would still vote for him," said Gabriel Marshall, an 18-year-old member of the Landless Workers Movement who made a 10-hour bus trip from his cooperative farm in Parana state. "He was the only one in power who has not robbed from the poor."
Federal Judge Sergio Moro during a public hearing at the special committee of the Chamber of Deputies that discusses changes in the code of criminal procedure in Brasilia, Brazil on March 30, 2017. /VCG Photo
A small group of supporters of the Car Wash investigation gathered in a different area of Curitiba. Last week, Moro released a video on Facebook asking that those backing the inquiry not travel to Curitiba to avoid the chance of clashes with Lula supporters.
During two terms in office, Lula, Brazil's first working-class president, greatly expanded the nation's social safety net.
Helped by a booming economy and an innovative cash-transfer program, his administration yanked tens of millions of people out of poverty into the middle class. Lula left office in 2010 with an 83 percent approval rating.
(Source: Reuters, AFP)
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