A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has authorized federal police to investigate Fabio Luis Lula da Silva, the son of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, over suspicions that he improperly assisted a lobbyist in dealings with the Health Ministry. Judicial authorization allows investigators to examine the allegations but does not establish wrongdoing.
Federal police requested permission the previous week to investigate Fabio Luis, widely known as Lulinha, for suspected influence peddling and corruption on behalf of businessman Antonio Carlos Camilo Antunes. The inquiry is expected to focus on the relationship between the president's son, the businessman and federal officials.
One line of investigation is whether Lulinha helped Antunes' companies gain access to Health Ministry officials in connection with a government agreement involving a cannabidiol-based medication. The available decision concerns possible facilitation of access and does not resolve whether any contract or payment was illicit.
Fabio Luis' lawyer said the defense had not been formally informed of the investigation and had not examined the documents or legal grounds. The statement raised suspicions of illegality and argued that an open-ended attempt to discover evidence would amount to an unlawful fishing expedition driven by political interests.
Antunes' representatives were not immediately available to respond. A federal police official said the investigation had not yet been formally opened, leaving a procedural distinction between the court's authorization and the start of investigative measures.
President Lula said his son should be investigated under the same rules as any other citizen. He stated that he would neither use the presidency to protect Fabio Luis nor interfere with the work of investigators, placing responsibility for the case with the judicial and police process.
The new authorization follows a separate inquiry approved earlier this year by Supreme Court Justice Andre Mendonca. That case examines allegations that Lulinha received improper payments connected to irregular deductions from pensions administered by the National Social Security Institute, a scheme in which Antunes also appeared.
Lula said in February that he had confronted his son about the pension case and told him that he would have to face the consequences if he had acted unlawfully, or defend himself if he had not. The two inquiries now place Fabio Luis under scrutiny on distinct allegations while both remain subject to investigation rather than judicial findings of guilt.
