"Displeased" with AP 470, Dirceu declares himself innocent.
Former Chief of Staff, convicted by the Supreme Court as the mastermind of the mensalão scheme, filed a new appeal, as a result of the infringement appeals, this Thursday (31), requesting acquittal for the crime of forming a criminal organization; he, who was sentenced last year to 10 years and 10 months in prison, argued that the court did not prove that there was vote buying of parliamentarians in the National Congress in the first years of Lula's government.
247 - Former Chief of Staff José Dirceu, convicted by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) as the mastermind of the mensalão scheme, filed a new appeal, as a result of the infringement appeals, this Thursday (31), asking for acquittal for the crime of forming a criminal organization. He, who was sentenced last year to 10 years and 10 months in prison, argued that the court did not prove that there was vote buying of parliamentarians in the National Congress in the first years of Lula's government.
In a 30-page appeal, lawyer José Luís de Oliveira Lima argues that the convictions were unjust. "José Dirceu de Oliveira e Silva expresses his complete disagreement with the decisions that convicted him of the crimes of active corruption and conspiracy, considering them unjust and in absolute disagreement with the evidence in this criminal case. The conviction of José Dirceu for the crime of active corruption is not considered just, nor is the alleged vote-buying proven," the appeal states.
The lawyer argues that his client should be acquitted because "the dissenting votes show that there is no evidence that the group organized itself with the objective of committing crimes." The defense claims that Dirceu did not lead a corruption scheme and that he could not be the head of the gang because former treasurer Delúbio Soares and former PT president José Genoino had autonomy in their roles.
"It is absolutely impossible to assert that the members of the various groups associated themselves for the practice of indeterminate crimes in a stable, permanent manner and under the command of José Dirceu. [...] It has been amply proven that the Secretary of Finance of the Workers' Party, Delúbio Soares, reached his position through the vote of the PT members. He accumulated administrative and financial functions in the party, and, on a daily basis, deliberated with total autonomy on obtaining and transferring resources. He did not assume his post by nomination or order of José Dirceu, nor did he owe him obedience," says the defense.