The Crucifixion of Leonardo Attuch

Olava de Carvalho: fighting Gnosticism with Gnosticism.

In July 2005, Mídia Sem Máscara, a Web site associated with this Olavo de Carvalho character — and through him linked to organizations like Ternuma and folks like Gen. Figueiredo — published the following defense of Leonardo Attuch.

Let’s translate, then try to annotate and fact-check.

Note that the MSM Web site was a major outlet for amplifying the talking point that Lula I and the PT conspired with criminal gangs to assassinate police officers in order to discredit Geraldo Alckmin in the area of public security, a point repeated by both Alckmin and Jorge Bornhausen during last year’s campaign..

This follow-up and gist from the Hora do Povo explains that in the article in question, based on the Federal Police report, Attuch stands accused of helping to fabricate false testimony by a federal witness whose story he “broke” in an “exclusive interview.”

In typical Rovean fashion — “No, you are!” — the best counterattack to being called a fabricator is to accuse your accusers of being the real fabricators.

A revista Carta Capital, braço midiático do Governo Lula e do PT na grande imprensa paulista, parece ter perdido a vergonha na cara, porque na sua última edição, publicou o fac símile falsificado de um e-mail trocado entre o banqueiro Daniel Dantas e Leonardo Attuch.

CartaCapital magazine, the media arm of the Lula government and the PT among the major São Paulo media [audited circulation is about 75,000, I think. Is that major? --Ed.] apparently has no shame left. It has published a forged facsimile of an e-mail exchanged between banker Daniel Dantas and Leonardo Attuch.

A revista atacou de Carta Brandi, a carta falsificada que derrubou Jango do Ministério do Trabalho, no Governo Vargas. O e-mail dá a impressão que Attuch fez a entrevista a mando de Dantas. Até mesmo Luís Fernando e o desequilibrado e rico site Carta Maior já vacila diante do mar de lama. Só Mino e meia dúzia de escribas híbridos continuam apostando em Papai Noel.

The magazine has attacked with [its own version of] the Brandi Letter, the forged document that toppled Jango as Vargas’ Minister of Labor. The e-mail gives the impression that Attuch did the interview at the behest of Dantas. Even Luís Fernando and the rich, biased site Carta Maior is hesitating before the sea of mud. Only Mino and his half-dozen hybrid scribes continue to bet on Santa Claus.

Em nenhum grande jornal brasileiro existe um só jornalista com coragem para defender o Governo e o PT. As exceções são conhecidas – e são vergonhosas.

Not a single journalist at a single major Brazilian newspaper has the guts to defend the government and the PT. The excpetions are notorious — and shameful.

Leonardo Attuch é da revista IstoÉ Dinheiro e foi quem descolou a Secretária Fernanda Karina para o Brasil.

Leonardo Attuch is from IstoÉ Dinheiro and it was he that introduced Marco Valério’s secretary, Fernanda Karina, to Brazil.

When questioned by the Federal Police about the interview, Fernanda Karina Sommaggio recanted a number of assertions that she had made. She later posed naked in Playboy.

I quote from a contemporary wire service report (though I suppose it could be a clever forgery):

Já de acordo com o delegado Ricardo Amaro, chefe de Comunicação da Polícia Federal em Belo Horizonte, a ex-secretária “basicamente negou a entrevista”. “Pelo o que ela falou não há nenhum indício de ilícito criminal”, afirmou Amaro. Segundo ele, pelo depoimento e análise da agenda entregue a PF, não há elementos, a princípio, para a abertura de um procedimento investigativo. O delegado Hélbio Dias Leite, chefe do Departamento de Combate ao Crime Organizado, que colheu o depoimento da ex-secretária, afirmou que o relato será encaminhado à direção da PF em Brasília.

Accordng to head PF spokesman in Belo Horizonte, the former secretary “basically denied the whole [contents of] the interview.” “From what she said there is no indication of a crime,” Amaro said. From her testimony and the analysis of the datebook turned into the PF, there are no prima facie indications that would lead tothe opening of a criminal investigation. Leite, head of organized crime division, which took the secretary’s deposition, said the report would be sent to PF headquarters in Brasiília.

Back to MSM:

Daniel Dantas é do Banco Opportunity, dono da Brasil Telecom, o mais novo-velho desafeto de Mino Carta, que se aliou ao Planalto (Gushikin) para atacá-lo.

Daniel Dantas is from Banco Opportunity, which owns Brasil Telecom, and the oldest-newest bugbear of Mino’s, who has allied himself with the government (Gushiken) to attack him.

O e-mail falsificado visou desqualificar a entrevista com Fernanda Karina, porque as denúncias foram irrespondíveis e era preciso fugir das respostas aos fatos apresentados.

The forged e-mail was intended to undermine the interview with Fernanda Karina, because her denunciations were undeniable and some way had to be found to respond to the facts she laid out.

Like I said: Fernanda immediately denied all the accusations she had made to Attuch in a deposition under oath, with counsel present, to the Federal Police.

Trata-se de uma velha tática leninista.

This is an old Leninist tactic.

Vai ficando alarmante a inconsistente e errática reação do Governo Lula e do PT à crise política. Ambos parecem reféns do Deputado Roberto Jefferson, que já derrubou o premier José Dirceu e ontem liquidou com a carreira de três Diretores da Usina de Furnas. A idéia que estes incidentes vão passando é de que as coisas vão ficar ainda muito piores do que já estão.

The Lula government and the PT’s response to the political crisis is getting more and more inconsistent and erratic. They both seem to be the hostages of Roberto Jefferson, who has already toppled [Soviet] Premier Dirceu and yesterday wiped out the careers of three Furnas board members. The very idea that the incidents are taking place suggests that things are going to get much, much worse.

CLIQUE AQUI para ler as explicações indignadas de Leonardo Attuch

Click here to read Leonardo Attuch’s indignant response.

Let me see if I can find a copy of that e-mail.

Attuch wrote, in that linked text:

“Tal e-mail, porém, é uma fraude grosseira. Carta Capital publica uma suposta mensagem de 9 de abril de 2005, que teria partido do endereço attuch@terra.com.br. No entanto, a empresa Terra Networks, um dos maiores provedores de internet do Brasil e do mundo, informa através de sua diretora jurídica, Fabiane Reschke Vicenzi, que tal conta de e-mail foi desativada em 11 de dezembro de 2003. Portanto, é impossível que, de tal endereço, tenha partido a mensagem reproduzida por Carta Capital.

“That e-mail … is a crude fake. CartaCapital published an alleged mesage dated April 9, 2005, that supposed was sent from attuch@terra.com.br. Terra Networks, however, one of the largest ISPs in Brazil and the world, informs us, through their legal counsel, Fabiane Reschke Vicenzi, that that e-mail account was deactivated on Dec. 11, 2003. Thus it is impossible that the message printed by CC could have come from that account.”

Estou tomando todas as providências jurídicas para que, de um lado, se instaure o inquérito policial a fim de revelar o autor do crime de falsidade ideológica; de outro, para que a revista Carta Capital responda pelo crime de difamação, elaborado a partir de um documento falso, cuja autenticidade a revista sequer se deu ao trabalho de checar, uma vez que não fui procurado.

I am taking all possible legal steps to (1) initiate a police investigation into who is responsible for this act of wilfull representation and (2) force the magazine to respond for the crime of libel, through the use of a false document, whose authenticity the magazine did not even take the trouble to check, given that they did not consult me about it.

Carta Capital replied on Nov 27 of last year, in Mino’s editorial:

Em nota divulgada pela internet, por Jornalistas & Cia e pelo Observatório da Imprensa, Attuch queixa-se veementemente contra a publicação por esta revista de um e-mail, já citado aliás na coluna Radar de Veja, pelo qual ficaria clara a conexão entre ele e Dantas. Afirma o jornalista ser o documento “uma fraude grosseira”. De sorte que vai acionar CartaCapital por difamação.

In a note published on the Internet, Attuch complains bitterly against this magazine’s publication of an e-mail, already cited by the Radar column in Veja, in which the connection between himself and Dantas is established. The journalist says the document is “a crude fake.” And that he is going to sue us for libel.

Em momento algum o documento em questão foi apresentado como autêntico. Na reportagem de capa da edição passada diz-se apenas que a mensagem faz parte de um pacote de e-mails em poder da PF. E que muitos deles circulam por algumas redações.

At no time was the document in question represented as authentic. In the cover story of the last edition it was stated only that the message was part of a package of e-mails in the hands of the Federal Police. And that a number of these are circulating through various newsrooms.

See also Bob Fernandes on Brazilian leak culture and anti-FUD prophylaxis.

Pode ser que se comprove a falsidade. Mas, à espera dos resultados da investigação policial, permito-me apontar umas tantas coincidências. Um desses e-mails, datado de 4 de abril passado, e assinado DD (falso? Verdadeiro? A verificar), diz: “Preciso de novas matérias contra BC e o Serra.” Outra mensagem faz referência a um misterioso Mauro.

Perhaps it is demonstrably a fake. But while we wait for the police to conclude their investigation, allow me to point out a few coincidences. One of these e-mails, dated April 4, 2006, signed “DD” (True? False? That remains to be seen) states: “I need new materials against BC and Serra.” Another message refers to a mysterious “Mauro.”

Dia 13 de abril, a IstoÉ, da mesma Editora Três de IstoÉ Dinheiro, publica uma página sobre processos e inquéritos destinados a apurar a improbidade administrativa do secretário municipal de Finanças de São Paulo. Mauro Ricardo Costa.

On April 13, IstoÉ, a stablemate of IstoÉ Dinheiro at Editora Três, published a page listing trials and investigations dedicated to proving alleged official corruption on the part of São Paulo’s municipal secretary for Finance [under Mayor Serra, now Gov. --Ed.], Mauro Ricardo Costa.

Não se duvide da boa-fé do colega. De todo modo, a reportagem assinada por Attuch, depois do indiciamento de Dantas e Cia., afirma que “o Citibank sabia de todos os passos da investigação da Kroll”. Investigação? E dá destaque a Carla Cico:”Eu me senti estuprada”. E a gente? Tadinha da Carla.

Far be it from us to question our colleague’s good faith. In any event, the report that appeared under Attuch’s byline after the indictment of Dantas & Co. states that “Citibank knew of every step that Kroll was taking in its investigation.” Investigation? And it featured (Dantas associate) Carla Cico saying: “I felt like I been raped.” How do you think we feel? Poor little Carla.

Carla Cico was ousted from the presidency of Brasil Telecom in 2005, after being indicted by federal police regarding

… possíveis ações ilegais envolvendo a contratação da empresa Kroll Associates, que teve acesso a correspondências eletrônicas inclusive de integrantes do primeiro escalão do governo.

… potential crimes involving the hiring of Kroll Associates, which had access to electronic correspondence that including e-mails of high-ranking government officials.

And it’s my understanding that that included the previous administration. Apparently the plumbers got tripped up when they started following the wrong guy, mistaking one FHC minister for another whom they thought had pull in the pending deal involving Citibank and Opportunity.

See also Kroll in Hole.

I always thought the State Dept. counseled gringo travelers to obey local laws.

I certainly try to.

After all, we are all “citizen ambassadors” for our great Republic and its democratic values.

Tricky Dick Nixon, like Elvis, never died.

He just moved to South America, like Martin Bormann.

And as to the relative credibility of Mino Carta and Mr. Attuch, well, look, I keep tabs on this stuff, and Mino has a pretty good track record of predictions that pan out, and fessing up when he’s wrong about something.

From the merely rhetorical point of view, Mr. Attuch regularly produces a FUD-rich stew of conjecture and stupid ideological clichés.

And empty promises that future facts not currently in evidence will vindicate the tripe.

It all seems premised on a “whether pigs have wings, and why the sea is boiling hot” theory of truth can be stranger than fiction.

But I’m an Occam’s Razor man, myself.

Therefore, the brutal and brute-force — but proven effective in field trials on various continents — S/N-based (“sense to nonsense ratio”) NMM information services triage algorithm is boinging off the scale.

It recommends suggests that we sort Mr. Attuch directly into the “most likely utter bullshit” pile so that we can focus on the “possibly not bullshit” pile.