The presiding federal judge in Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s corruption trial told Brazilian media on Wednesday found the ex-president guilty of having accepted bribes valuing around 3.7 million reals ($1.2 million, 1.1 million euros), reports Deutsche Welle.
The money was spent on renovating a three-story beachfront apartment in the Atlantic coast municipality of Guaruja for Lula. In exchange, the ex-president helped the OAS construction company obtain lucrative government contracts with the state oil company Petrobras.
Lula, who held the presidential office between 2003 and 2010, consistently denied the charges against him throughout his trial.
Trial judge Sergio Moro said the 71-year-old Workers’ Party politician would remain free for the moment, given the possibility of appeal against the sentence. Lula’s legal team has promised to appeal any conviction.
