Roberto Freire calls for investigation against Lula.

247 - The PPS party, chaired by federal deputy Roberto Freire (SP), requested this Thursday, the 12th, that the National Truth Commission investigate whether the former president collaborated with the military regime during the period of the military dictatorship in Brazil. The accusation was made by delegate and former national secretary of Justice Romeu Tuma Júnior in his new book, Assassination of Reputations – A Crime of the State, defined as a "bombshell book" by Veja magazine.

The request was delivered today by the leader of the PPS in the Chamber of Deputies, Representative Rubens Bueno (PR), to the coordinator of the Truth Commission, Pedro Dallari. In the official letter (see the full text below), he states that he hopes "appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that the facts are duly investigated, in order to establish the historical truth." If the truth involves Lula as a victim, and not as a collaborator of the dictatorship, this must be clarified, adds Bueno.

In an interview with Veja magazine to promote his book, Tuma claims that Lula was an "informant for the dictatorship." "Lula and I lived through that time together. Nobody told me. I saw Lula sleeping in my father's living room. I witnessed everything," said the retired police officer. He further suggested that there are documents in the archives that could corroborate his version of events. "I don't rule out the possibility that some report from the DOPS (Department of Political and Social Order) of that time records information attributed to a certain informant codenamed Barba (Beard)."

Rubens Bueno said that "Brazil needs to know if it's true that the former president was an informant for the political police of the military dictatorship and, furthermore, for what purpose. Was Lula a denouncer against his comrades? Who did he denounce? When did this occur?", he questioned. The PPS and PSDB are considering holding an event in Congress to invite Tuma Júnior to give his statements. Yesterday, the Senate's Constitution and Justice Committee rejected the request for him to attend a session, authored by Senator Alvaro Dias (PSDB-PR).

See the full text of the official letter delivered by Rubens Bueno:

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES

Of. 250/2013

Brasilia, November 12, 2012.

Your Excellency Sir
Doctor Pedro Dallari
Coordinator of the National Truth Commission

Mr. Coordinator,

I am writing to bring to the attention of this Committee facts portrayed in the book "Assassination of Reputations – a State Crime," being launched by Romeu Tuma Júnior, concerning an alleged scheme to fabricate dossiers against the current government's adversaries, as has been widely reported in the media. This is because there is an accusation made in this book against former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that refers to the period of the military dictatorship and which, therefore, should be the subject of the attention of this Committee.

According to an interview Romeu Tuma Júnior gave to Veja magazine (edition 2351), the former President was allegedly an informant for his father, former Delegate Romeu Tuma, within the DOPS (Department of Political and Social Order), a notorious organ for repressing political and social movements opposed to the regime during the military dictatorship. When asked by the magazine if he possessed proof of this, Tuma Júnior reportedly replied: "I do not rule out the possibility that some DOPS report from that time contains information attributed to a certain informant codenamed Barba."

This is a matter that needs to be investigated by this Commission, because, based on what was known until now, the former President was actually a victim of the repressive apparatus of the dictatorship, having been imprisoned in the DOPS itself. As is well known, the purpose of the National Truth Commission is to enforce the right to memory and historical truth and to promote national reconciliation (Article 1 of Law No. 12.528, of November 18, 2011).

Now, if the historical truth involves the former President's participation in a role quite different from what was previously imagined, this must irrefutably be clarified. Brazil needs to know if it is true that the former President was an informant for the political police of the military dictatorship and, furthermore, for what purpose. Was the former President a betrayer of his own comrades? Who did he betray? When did this occur?

It is important to note that Mr. Tuma Júnior even indicates the source from which the information could be obtained: reports from the DOPS (Department of Political and Social Order) recording information obtained from an informant codenamed "Barba".

These are the facts that I am bringing to the attention of Your Excellency and this Commission, hoping that appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that they are duly investigated, in order to establish the historical truth.

Best Regards,

Deputy RUBENS BUENO
(PPS/PR)