MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Petrobras corruption: top prosecutor hands the Supreme Court names of 54 politicians

Janot's office did not release names of the politicians. Under Brazilian law, politicians and cabinet members can only be tried by the Supreme Court

Brazil's top prosecutor Rodrigo Janot asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to open an investigation into 54 politicians who allegedly benefited from a multibillion-dollar kickback scheme at state-run oil company Petrobras a Supreme Court spokesperson said on Tuesday.

 Janot's office did not release the names of the politicians to be investigated. Under Brazilian law, politicians and cabinet members can only be tried by the Supreme Court.

The Petrobras scandal, dubbed Operation Car Wash by investigators, concerns a huge decades-long corruption scheme.

Top executives from Petrobras and other companies have been investigated over allegations that firms paid kickbacks in return for overpriced contracts. However, politicians have also come under the spotlight. It is alleged that the kickbacks were worth some 3.8 billion dollars in total.

Brazilian law requires that a Supreme Court judge approve investigations against members of congress and top members of the governing executive. The politicians presently enjoy immunity from being identified, a privilege Janot has said he also wants lifted.

Plea bargain testimony already given by defendants in the case has indicated that many are members of President Dilma Rousseff's Workers Party (PT) and its coalition allies in Congress.

The scandal is the biggest-ever corruption case to hit Brazil, according to the public prosecution service, with Petrobras being the largest company in the country.

The scandal has proved particularly difficult for Rousseff, who chaired the board of Petrobras from 2003 to 2010, during which time the kickback scheme was said to still be operating.