MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian hacker publishes sensitive personal data on politicians convicted for corruption

Jose Dirceu was the cabinet chief of President Lula da Silva in his first mandate

A hacker in Brazil has published sensitive personal data of politicians convicted during a major corruption trial known as the “Mensalao”. Jose Genoino, Jose Dirceu and Delubio Soares have had address, phone numbers, emails and other details exposed.

On a webpage, the hacker nbdu1nder wrote that they “will have to live with the consequences of their wrongdoing”.

The Supreme Court convicted 25 people for a scheme that used public funds to pay parties for political support.

The politicians have reportedly received hundreds of phone calls following the hacker's tweet with the webpage link for the lists. Dirceu's lawyers plan to take legal action, said newspaper O Estado de S Paulo.

Dirceu was former President Lula da Silva's chief of staff between 2003 and 2005 and has been sentenced to more than 10 years in jail.

Genoino, a former head of president Lula's Workers Party (PT), was sentenced to nearly seven years in jail, but was allowed to begin his new mandate as a member of Congress. He plans to appeal against the sentence.

The hacker criticised other legislators for applauding Genoino's inauguration last week and called for protests.

Delubio Soares was PT's treasurer and has been given a jail sentence of eight years and 11 months.

“Brazil has experienced one of the most embarrassing moments in its history,” the hacker wrote. “It's time for some action, don't you think, citizens?”

The Brazilian hacker also divulged personal data of businessman Carlos Augusto Ramos, better known as Carlinhos Cachoeira, sentenced in a separate case to 39 years in jail but released before the New Year after having served only five days.

On Twitter, nbdu1nder promised to reveal more data about convicted politicians.

The “Mensalao” scandal, which erupted in 2005, for a time threatened to engulf the Lula da Silva administration but he was comfortably re-elected as president the following year.

Lula da Silva himself was not implicated in the case and has denied any knowledge of the scheme. He left office at the end of 2010 with huge approval ratings, and remains a popular figure in Brazilian political life.

The trial, which became known as the “Mensalao” or the “Big Monthly” allowance, was seen as a key test of Brazil's ability to hold its politicians to account for corruption. The big monthly payments were to ensure congressional majorities and pass government legislation.