Gurgel: the mensalão scandal is much bigger than what was ultimately indicted.
In an interview with Folha, the Attorney General of the Republic also says that the testimony given by Marcos Valério was intended to "sabotage the trial" and claims to have evidence that demonstrates José Dirceu's role at the top of the criminal organization.
247 – After denying the Estadão newspaper's report that he had requested an investigation against former President Lula based on the accusation presented by Marcos Valério, the Attorney General of the Republic, Roberto Gurgel, spoke again about the mensalão scandal. This time, in Folha de S.Paulo, he says that the scheme is "much larger, much broader, than what ended up being the subject of the accusation."
Regarding the biggest challenge faced in the process, he cites the stage of proving the responsibility of the political core of the scheme, among them that of the former Minister of the Civil House, José Dirceu (PT).
"A certain agreement was made with some party, and it was said: 'José Dirceu is the one who has to make the final decision.' Then, either he would quickly enter the room or someone would make a phone call, and he would say: 'Okay, you can close the deal,'" says Gurgel. "We presented evidence that showed that he was, in fact, at the top of this criminal organization," says the prosecutor.
Regarding Lula's possible involvement in the scheme, the prosecutor says he has not seen the slightest evidence pointing to his participation. According to him, the testimony given in September by the scheme's operator, Marcos Valério, was intended to "sabotage the trial."
Yesterday, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) published a statement denying the opening of an investigation against Lula: "Contrary to what was published this Wednesday, January 9th, by the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo, the Communication Secretariat of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office informs that the Attorney General of the Republic, Roberto Gurgel, has not yet begun analyzing Marcos Valério's testimony, as he was awaiting the conclusion of the trial of AP 470 (mensalão). It further clarifies that only after the analysis will it be possible to inform what will be done with the material. Therefore, there is no decision regarding a possible investigation of the case," the statement said.