Daughter-in-law of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso charged with fraud

A fraud charge has been brought against the daughter-in-law of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso in connection with the multi-billion- dollar failure of Banco Nacional, Brazilian federal police said.

The police charged Ana Lucia Magalhaes Pinto, the former vice-president of Banco Nacional's council, with fraudulent management and irregularities in the bank's balance sheet, which reported false information, a spokeswoman said. The charges against Pinto, who is married to Cardoso's son Paulo Henrique, have not damaged the President's standing so far. A government- sponsored poll published on Thursday showed Cardoso would be re-elected with 41 per cent of the vote if a general election were held. Reuter - Rio de Janeiro