CURITIBA, Brazil—Thousands of supporters of former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gathered on Wednesday in the southern city of Curitiba hours before he was to appear before a crusading, anti-corruption judge on graft charges he dismisses as a political witch hunt.
Lula is accused of receiving a beach apartment in return for helping the OAS construction firm win government contracts. His testimony before Judge Sergio Moro, who has spearheaded Brazil’s biggest-ever corruption probe, begins at 2 p.m. local time. A ruling by Moro is not expected until July.
Lula, who is charged in four other corruption cases, is the highest-profile defendant in a sprawling corruption probe known as “Operation Car Wash.” The investigation centers on construction firms who have already admitted to paying billions in kickbacks in return for lucrative contracts at state-run oil company Petrobras.
The former president has repeatedly said he is innocent of all charges.
