Electronic surveillance

Brazil Judge Apologizes for Releasing Tapped Rousseff-Lula Phone Calls

The federal judge overseeing the probe into a huge corruption scheme centered on Brazilian state oil company Petrobras has apologized for releasing intercepts of phone conversations between President Dilma Rousseff and her political mentor and predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, officials said.

In a document sent to the Supreme Court, which is investigating him for alleged irregularities in the release of the wiretaps, Sergio Moro admitted that he had made a mistake in doing so but denied that the move was politically motivated.

The judge based in the southern city of Curitiba, however, also justified his action by saying the controversial recordings “may eventually” contain evidence of “obstruction of justice or attempted obstruction of justice.”

Federal Police recorded the calls on the judge’s orders on March 16, the day Rousseff appointed Lula as her chief of staff, and were released a day later.

In one of the recorded phone calls, Rousseff tells Lula that she sent him a copy of his appointment “in case it’s necessary,” a remark the opposition and even a Supreme Court justice have interpreted as proof she named him to her Cabinet to shield him from prosecution.