Journalist reveals Maluf's foreign bank account.

247 - One of the worst lies in national political history has just been exposed. For years, the former mayor of São Paulo, Paulo Maluf, claimed he did not maintain bank accounts abroad. He even stated that he would give all the money that might be there to whoever found it.

Everyone knew it was a lie, but, as it has always been nearly impossible to break the bank secrecy of account holders in tax havens, Maluf shamelessly told his lie, without fear of being exposed.

Because the mask has just fallen. And the credit goes to journalist Jamil Chade, correspondent for Estado de S. Paulo in Geneva, Switzerland. Chade traveled to the Jersey Islands, where the Maluf family is the target of a money laundering investigation, and obtained proof that Maluf moved money through the accounts of the Durant company.

This company allegedly received approximately US$175 million in funds diverted from the São Paulo city government, such as commissions paid by construction companies. In the legal proceedings, the Maluf family admitted to handling the funds, but maintains they were the result of legitimate business dealings – the Malufs own Eucatex.

If Maluf were a man of his word, he would now have to deposit all of Durant's funds into Jamil Chade's account, who paid 20 pounds to the Jersey authorities to obtain the account. But it is clear that this was not the journalist's intention, as he obtained one of the biggest scoops in recent years.

In any case, as columnist José Simão said, Maluf didn't have money abroad. The money is ours. And it should soon be repatriated by the São Paulo city government.

Former President Lula and candidate Fernando Haddad clearly had no idea of ​​the magnitude of the blunder they made when they agreed to pose for photos in the Maluf family's gardens.

Read, here, Report by Jamil Chade.