- Title: Former Brazilian presidents Lula and Rousseff tout Lula’s innocence
- Date: 12th August 2017
- Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (AUGUST 11, 2017) (REUTERS) ****WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FORMER BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT, DILMA ROUSSEFF, ENTERING AUDITORIUM TO APPLAUSE FORMER BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT, LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, ENTERING AUDITORIUM TO APPLAUSE STUDENTS AT THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO CHEERING, "OLE, OLE, OLA, LULA, LULA!" IN SUPPORT OF LULA LULA AT CONFERENCE LULA, ROUSSEFF AND OTHER SPEAKERS SEATED AT FRONT OF AUDITORIUM ROUSSEFF LULA SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) FORMER BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT, LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, SAYING: "I am conscious that (Federal Judge Sergio) Moro isn't more honest than I am… that no prosecutor is more honest than I am, no delegate is more honest than I am. I don't have to prove my innocence. They're the ones that have to prove I'm guilty." STUDENTS APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) FORMER BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT, DILMA ROUSSEFF, SAYING: "Because today, the biggest instrument for defending democracy is fundamentally the clearing up of this judicial process (against Lula); of the immense injustice of condemning Mr. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to nine and half years of prison for a simple, very simple reason - he is innocent. It's not just that there is no proof, there is no evidence and no basis to support this charge and therefore the sentencing and the ruling." STUDENTS CHEERING, "OLE, OLE, OLA, DILMA, DILMA!" IN SUPPORT OF ROUSSEFF LULA AND ROUSSEFF LEAVING STUDENTS CHEERING
- Embargoed: 26th August 2017 05:09
- Keywords: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Dilma Rousseff corruption charges Lava Jato
- Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- City: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016TUNRCZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Former Brazilian Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff professed Lula's innocence in sweeping corruption charges during a joint appearance at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro on Friday (August 11).
Lula has already been found guilty in one graft trial and is set to face a sixth trial on charges related to a political kickback scheme that sent Latin America's biggest economy into political chaos.
Lula said he was "more honest" than members of the judicial system including Brazilian federal judge Sergio Moro, the man behind Brazil's largest ever corruption investigation adding, "I don't have to prove my innocence. They're the ones that have to prove I'm guilty."
Lula was found guilty last month and sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for accepting 3.7 million reais worth of bribes from engineering firm OAS, the amount of money prosecutors said the company spent refurbishing a beach apartment for Lula in return for his help winning contracts with state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro.
Dilma, who succeeded Lula as president before she was impeached, said there was no basis to support the charges that landed Lula the prison sentence.
Lula is free pending appeal. If his guilty verdict is upheld, Lula would likely be barred for running again for president next year, which he has said he wants to do. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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