Commission considers case closed on alleged FARC donation to PT

17/03/2005 - 22h27

Gabriela Guerreiro
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - The president of the Joint Congressional Commission for the Control of Intelligence Activities, Senator Cristovam Buarque (PT-DF), considered the investigation of the alleged donation of US$ 5 million by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to the Workers' Party (PT) concluded, following the explanations presented yesterday (17) by the head Minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet, General Jorge Félix, and the director-general of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva.

In the Senator's opinion, the accusation of the alleged donation of US$ 5 million to the PT was a "sad episode, because it affected a party's credibility without anybody seeing any proof." On the other hand, the Senator believes that the publicity was positive, "because it demonstrated that Brazil is a country capable of placing the head of its intelligence agency before the entire press and all the members of Congress and exit calmly, without a dent to its credibility."

The leader of the PSDB in the Senate, Senator Arthur Virgílio (AM), however, calls on both the government and Deputy Alberto Fraga (PTB-DF) to present their versions of the accusation. "It is the moment of truth, and we must put the facts before the nation. Deputy Fraga says he has irrefutable evidence, so he has to present this proof. I don't wish to hurry judgment. At this moment I stand by the conviction that more time is needed; we need to dig deeper," he insisted.

Translation: David Silberstein