Banking heiress helps keep Brazil's Lula financially afloat

Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-17 14:40:10|Editor: ying
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RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A banking heiress has come to the financial aid of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, after his assets were frozen on alleged corruption charges, local media reported Wednesday.

Roberta Luchsinger, the 32-year-old heir of the family that founded Swiss bank Credit Suisse, has donated nearly 160,000 U.S. dollars to Lula, whose 3 million dollars in assets have been blocked by a federal judge overseeing an investigation into corruption.

Lula denied any wrongdoing, saying the charges are politically motivated to derail his potential run for the presidency in 2018.

In an interview with the daily, Folha de Sao Paulo, the granddaughter of Swiss banker Peter Paul Arnold Luchsinger said, "by freezing Lula's assets, (Judge Sergio) Moro is trying to block him both politically and personally. I am going to make a donation so that the president can use (it) as he needs."

Luchsinger has sent Lula a check for 28,000 Swiss francs (28,500 U.S. dollars), the monthly sum she would get from her grandfather, who passed away in July at the age of 92.

According to the daily, she also filled a suitcase full of valuables "that can be auctioned at a charity event to benefit the ex-president."

Lula has been sentenced to nine and a half years in prison and faces five other legal cases against him. He plans to appeal the sentence.

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