Brazil's INSS Corruption Probe Expands Amid New Bribery Evidence and Lulinha Defense Push

The Federal Police concluded the first inquiry into the INSS corruption case, indicting 48 people. The probe uncovered illegal discounts on benefits for retirees and pensioners and revealed a parallel accounting system for bribes. Senator Carlos Viana highlighted a duplicated payment of 300,000 reais plus ten centavos that matched internal spreadsheets, confirming the existence of a real bribe ledger.

At the same time, the defense of Fabio Luis Lula da Silva (Lulinha) has asked the Federal Police and the Supreme Court to archive the investigation against him, arguing he has no direct involvement. The request follows a postponed meeting with the police director and claims the inquiry is progressing slowly, which the defense fears could affect the presidential election campaign. The controversy continues to draw political attention as it implicates the president’s son and could impact thousands of INSS beneficiaries.