Federal police in Brazil uncovered messages linking a lobbyist and friend of the president’s son to jewelry purchases for a former senior presidential aide. The findings, stemming from separate fraud investigations, led the Supreme Federal Court to authorize a new inquiry into suspected political influence peddling within federal agencies.
An investigation by federal authorities has exposed financial ties and digital correspondence connecting a lobbyist to figures inside the current administration. The materials, recovered from the mobile device of businesswoman Roberta Luchsinger, point to coordinated business interests and personal gifts involving former presidential officials and the president’s son, Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lulinha. Roberta Luchsinger is investigated for suspicions of influence peddling and using her proximity to the son of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to gain access to the government. She worked with Antonio Camilo Antunes, known as “Careca do INSS,” and is suspected of acting as a payment intermediary for Lulinha.
Jewelry Purchases and Administration Ties
According to federal investigators, the digital evidence reveals that Roberta Luchsinger purchased diamond jewelry for Marco Aurélio Santana Ribeiro, who served as chief of staff to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva until stepping down on July 21. The PF requested and the STF (Supreme Federal Court) authorized a new inquiry investigating possible influence peddling by a group within the federal government. The federal police stated that photographs of jewelry purchased as gifts were also found on the mobile phone. Marcola’s defense confirmed that Roberta Luchsinger bought two pieces of jewelry for him valued at R$ 9.2 thousand. The lobbyist had reportedly sent a photo of a necklace and a pair of diamond solitaires.
Jewelry purchase links Lulinha’s friend to former aide
Legal representation for the former chief of staff acknowledged the purchase but characterized the transaction differently. Marcola’s lawyers claim that the purchase of the jewelry was part of a loan subsequently repaid by him. At the beginning of the month, the former chief of staff stated that he had taken a loan of R$ 249 thousand from the businesswoman and that he had paid the amount in full. According to the dialogues accessed by the PF, Marcola reportedly helped choose the pieces through images exchanged between them, with the pieces intended for Mother’s Day, celebrated in 2024—the year of the dialogues—on May 12. In addition to the purchase, CNN found that the PF is also investigating whether the lobbyist made payments via barcodes to Marcola while he served as chief of staff of the Presidency.
Inquiry Expansion and Business Connections
The discovery of the correspondence originated from a broader federal probe into alleged fraud involving the National Social Security Institute. In an exchange of messages with Roberta on March 22, 2024, Lulinha mentions that he participates in meetings with Marcola and the then executive secretary of the Ministry of Health, Swedenberger Barbosa, known as Berger. The PF is investigating whether Lulinha acted with the Ministry of Health in negotiations related to the authorization process for the commercialization of cannabis-based products.
Investigations point to a closer relationship between the two and meetings that also involved Marcola and the then executive secretary of the Ministry of Health. In one of the conversations, the businesswoman tells Lulinha that our future is Switzerland
, referring to their joint work. According to the conversations found by the PF, Lulinha instructed Roberta to issue an invoice to charge Cleber Ribas de Oliveira, a partner in a company called 3STRUCTURE IT. The PF report cites that businessman Cleber Ribas reportedly funded at least one trip for Lulinha in exchange for receiving favors in the government.
PF: Lulinha’s friend bought jewelry for former aide
Legal counsel for Cleber Ribas stated to Metrópoles that there was no way to comment on alleged messages extracted from files to which full access had not been granted, and that his relationship with the president’s son was one of friendship, without any professional ties. When contacted, Berger did not comment. Roberta’s defense told CNN that the records are under seal, and they will respect that.
Supreme Court Authorizations and Legal Pushback
At the end of July, Minister André Mendonça gave the go-ahead for the start of the investigation into suspicions of influence peddling by Lulinha in actions involving Dataprev (Social Security Technology and Information Company), linked to the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services. Previously, Mendonça had already authorized the opening of an investigation into Lulinha’s alleged actions with the Ministry of Health and the Presidency’s office in an attempt to obtain approval for the commercialization of medicinal cannabis. On August 4, STF Minister Flávio Dino authorized the opening of a third inquiry against the president’s son also to investigate suspicions of influence peddling.
In response to the news, Lulinha’s defense began to question the authenticity of the messages, given a possible breach of the so-called chain of custody of the evidence. The lawyer representing Lulinha declared that there is no way to confirm the veracity of the messages, and that there is a criminal leak out of context. This Monday, lawyer Marco Aurélio de Carvalho, coordinator of the Prerrogativas group and member of Lulinha’s defense, telephoned the Minister of Justice, Wellington Lima e Silva, and the director-general of the PF, Andrei Rodrigues, to discuss the matter, demanding energetic action from the agencies regarding selective and criminal leaks and stating that Lula restored independence and autonomy to the institutions, which must now act with responsibility.
