Brasília, March 2, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The ex-assistant head of Parliamentary Affairs in the Secretariat of Political Coordination, Waldomiro Diniz, will be interrogated today by the Federal Police. The agent in charge of the case, Antônio Cesar Nunes, hopes that he will defend himself against the misdeeds of which he has been accused. "So this is the moment when he can explain a lot about what he's being accused of," he affirmed.

Yesterday (1) the police heard the businessman, Carlos Augusto Ramos, "Little Charlie Waterfall," and his ex-partner, Carlos Roberto Martins. "Little Charlie Waterfall" arrived at the Federal Police accompanied by five lawyers. In 2002 the businessman filmed a conversation between himself and Diniz, who was at the time director of the Loterj (Rio de Janeiro State Lottery). In the tape Diniz negotiates contributions to PT (Workers' Party) electoral campaigns in Rio de Janeiro and the Federal District and requests a 1% commission for himself.

"Waterfall" repeated the testimony he gave to the Federal Prosecutors' Office last week, and, according to the Federal Police advisory office, he said that he would only speak up in court. In agent Nunes's opinion, Diniz should act differently. "If you're innocent, there's nothing to fear. If he's innocent, he can very well make clear to the police, the Judiciary, and the Prosecutors' Office all the facts of which he's being accused," he affirmed. (DAS)