Businesswoman and lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger questioned on Saturday why Brazil's Federal Police did not search the home of Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, known as Lulinha, the son of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Luchsinger made the remarks in an interview with CNN Brasil, criticizing the handling of investigations into an alleged scheme of irregular discounts on pensions and retirement benefits administered by the national social security institute, INSS.
"Why didn't they go to the president's son's house?" Luchsinger asked, referring to the investigative measures taken against her. She is under investigation for suspected influence peddling and has been subjected to search and seizure orders, asset freezes, and a requirement to wear an electronic ankle monitor.
Luchsinger argued that she has faced stricter precautionary measures than other suspects. She also claimed the disparity reflects gender bias, criticizing Lula for publicly calling her a "pilantra" — a Portuguese term for scoundrel or crook — while, in her view, shielding the men involved in the probes.
"A man like that cannot speak about feminism, about femicide, about machismo, because he is the machista himself. He preserved all the men and threw me, the only woman, to the lions," she said.
Luchsinger stated she intends to negotiate a plea bargain and will not spare anyone in the federal government, including the president and his son.
"I will not spare anyone. It could be the president of the Republic, who in my view is a great scoundrel, a great liar, and I repeat, a great coward. I will not spare the president's son, nobody, because what is at stake is the truth," she declared.
Luchsinger and Lulinha are jointly investigated in three Federal Police inquiries for influence peddling. The suspicion is that they worked with authorities in federal agencies to benefit private companies.
Presidential Palace response
The Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency said Lula has no knowledge of the facts described by Luchsinger. In a written statement, the Planalto Palace declared that the president "never maintained any interlocution with her, never received her demands, and likewise has no knowledge of alleged negotiations such as those mentioned."
The statement also noted that "there is no federal government contract with Roberta." It questioned the timing of the allegations, coming days before the second round of the 2026 election, and characterized them as "an irresponsible attempt to disrupt the democratic process and interfere in the free choice of voters."
Background
The investigations involving Lulinha and Luchsinger have produced a series of related revelations in recent months, including alleged messages between the two discussing moving assets abroad, reported payments to a former campaign aide known as Marcola, and a proposed contract worth R$ 626 million with the Health Ministry. The Prosecutor General's Office has requested that one of the cases against Lulinha be moved from the Supreme Federal Court (STF) to a lower court. Lulinha has sued Senator Flávio Bolsonaro over a video discussing alleged INSS irregularities.
The Federal Police inquiries remain ongoing.