Brazil’s Federal Police are examining whether businesswoman Roberta Luchsinger acted as a link between a lobbyist accused in a major pension fraud scheme and Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, the eldest son of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Fábio Luís, widely known as Lulinha, has not been indicted or formally classified as a suspect, according to Folha de S.Paulo.
The case forms part of Operation No Discount, a probe into alleged unauthorized deductions from retirees and pensioners paid by the National Social Security Institute (INSS), Brazil’s federal pension agency. Investigators say the broader scheme may have taken more than R$6 billion, roughly USD 1.1 billion at recent rates, from beneficiaries between 2019 and 2024.
What Police Are Checking
The central figure in the inquiry is Antônio Camilo Antunes, a businessman and lobbyist known in Brazilian media as “Careca do INSS,” or the “INSS Bald Man.” Folha reported that police found payments totaling R$1.5 million, roughly USD 280,000, from a company linked to Antunes to a company owned by Luchsinger.
According to Folha, investigators also seized a message in which Antunes asked an operator to transfer R$300,000, about USD 56,000, to a company in Luchsinger’s name. When asked who the money was for, he allegedly replied that it was for “the boy’s son.” Police are examining whether the phrase referred to Lulinha and whether he had any hidden business role with Antunes.
Folha reported, based on police findings, that the payments to Luchsinger were justified by services that investigators say were not performed. The newspaper also cited a seized message in which Luchsinger allegedly told Antunes: “Make those phones disappear. Throw them away.”
Luchsinger’s Statement
Luchsinger testified to the Federal Police on May 20 and denied passing money from Antunes to Lulinha, according to reports published by Estadão Conteúdo and republished by ABC+ and Correio Popular. She admitted receiving payments from Antunes but said she had been hired to work on regulation of Brazil’s cannabidiol market and did not know he was allegedly involved in pension-related fraud.
She also confirmed that she introduced Antunes to Lulinha and said she has been friends with the president’s son for many years. Her defense said the testimony undermined the accusation and argued that she has been unfairly portrayed as a lobbyist, heiress, socialite and associate because of her personal ties.
Luchsinger has separately denied wrongdoing and told Folha she was being criminalized for being a friend of the president’s son.
Portugal Trip and STF Oversight
Lulinha’s defense has acknowledged that Antunes paid expenses for a 2024 trip by the president’s son to Portugal. The lawyers said Lulinha was invited to see cannabidiol production, accompanied Antunes “without any commitment,” did not take part in negotiations, did not invest labor or money, and received no invitation to join or buy stakes in Antunes’s “World Cannabis” project.
The investigation is overseen by Justice André Mendonça of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF), the country’s top court. Earlier this year, Mendonça authorized the lifting of Lulinha’s bank, tax and electronic secrecy at the request of the Federal Police, Folha reported.
G1 reported that Mendonça later asked police for a detailed report on all targets of the INSS operations after the Federal Police changed the unit responsible for the inquiry. Police said the move was meant to improve structure and efficiency, while opposition lawmakers claimed it raised concerns about interference. Mendonça also requested explanations about the change.
Antunes has been jailed since September, according to Folha. In testimony to a congressional inquiry into the INSS case, he denied illicit enrichment and said his wealth came from honest work.