PF identifies that lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger ordered cash payments to employees of the Ministry of Social Development

The businesswoman's defense stated that she would not comment "on illegal leaks". The Ministry of Social Development, where the employees work, was contacted, but has not yet responded.

By Márcio Falcão

Businesswoman Roberta Luchsinger is the target of three investigations — Photo: Reproduction

The Federal Police (PF) identified that lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger ordered her driver to make payments in cash to two employees of the Ministry of Social Development.

The deposits went in 2023 to the deputy executive secretary of the ministry, Ranniêr Costa Cirático, and to the coordinator of the ceremony of the Minister of Social Development, Wellington Dias, José Martinho Ferreira de Araújo.

The ministry closed a contract with a technology entrepreneur represented by Roberta six months after payments.

The information was revealed by the newspaper Estado de S. Paulo. TV Globo also had access.

Roberta is being investigated together with Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, known as Lulinha, eldest son of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), in three investigations on suspicion of corruption and influence peddling.

The businesswoman's defense stated that she would not speak out "about illegal leaks without the slightest proof, which serve only for electoral purposes on the eve of the vote."

The Ministry of Social Development was contacted by the report, but has not yet responded.

The payments were collected by the PF from messages found on the lobbyist's cell phone.

Bag with money

Investigators report that on June 2, 2023, Roberta asked Ulisses Barbosa, her personal assistant and driver, to go to her room and take a bag with money and separate R$60,000. The conversation starts late in the morning.

Ulisses even warned that "this amount has to be diluted to deposit... because the bank asks a series of questions.

In response, the lobbyist states: "they are in several accounts". Then there is a sequence of deleted messages.

Roberta then informs two accounts and asks that R$20,000 be deposited into each one.

In the early afternoon, Roberta writes to the assistant asking that R$20,000 be transferred to a third account and asks: "Yesterday they left a package there? If so, you do 20 more on this one."

The data comes from accounts held by Ranniêr, José Martinho and a relative of his.

Messages from Roberta Luchsinger to Ulisses Barbosa — Photo: Reproduction

Movement between accounts

About an hour after receiving the account numbers, the driver informs that he is at the bank and that he has been alerted that amounts above R$50,000 destined for a CPF come under the Central Bank's sights. “It already triggers an alert there. Just letting you know," he wrote.

Then send proof of the deposits of R$20,000 and “done”.

The PF states that it is necessary to deepen the analysis of financial movements in light of the ongoing investigations against Roberta and her group.

Proof of transfer for Ranniêr Costa Cirático and José Martinho Ferreira de Araújo — Photo: Reproduction

The researchers highlight, for example, that Ulisses is responsible for intense movements of values for Roberta.

They also say that the assistant moved large amounts in his current account. According to investigations, "between 2022 and 2025, Roberta's company transferred almost R$2,300,000.00 to Ulisses' account, Ulisses transferred between 2022 and 2023 just over R$130,000.00 to RL's account."