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Mastermind of Lula's corruption cases temporarily released from jail

Wednesday, May 3rd 2017 - 06:53 UTC
Full article 5 comments
A former guerrilla now aged 71, Dirceu was convicted in May 2016 to 32 years in jail for taking bribes, money laundering and criminal association. A former guerrilla now aged 71, Dirceu was convicted in May 2016 to 32 years in jail for taking bribes, money laundering and criminal association.
The Supreme Court's judges ruled in a three-to-two vote he should be released because his conviction was not properly confirmed by a higher court. The Supreme Court's judges ruled in a three-to-two vote he should be released because his conviction was not properly confirmed by a higher court.
Dirceu's release was seen as a blow to prosecutors handling the Car Wash case, Brazil's biggest-ever corruption scandal. Dirceu's release was seen as a blow to prosecutors handling the Car Wash case, Brazil's biggest-ever corruption scandal.

Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the release from prison of Jose Dirceu, who was convicted of graft-related crimes after serving as cabinet chief of ex-president Lula da Silva. Dirceu has been detained since 2015 in connection to a vast corruption scheme known as Car Wash.

 A former guerrilla now aged 71, Dirceu was convicted in May 2016 to 32 years in jail for taking bribes, money laundering and criminal association.

The Supreme Court's judges ruled in a three-to-two vote he should be released because his conviction was not properly confirmed by a higher court. The judge of the court that originally sentenced him in 2015 may yet put Dirceu under bail conditions, which can include house arrest or an electronic tracking bracelet.

Dirceu's release was seen as a blow to prosecutors handling the Car Wash case, Brazil's biggest-ever corruption scandal.

The probe has uncovered a massive network of embezzlement and bribery at the heart of Brazil's economic and political elite. Lula, a former union leader who ruled 2003 to 2010, and a host of other political and business figures are also targets of anti-corruption prosecutors.

Lula's handpicked successor, Dilma Rousseff, was impeached and removed as president last year for the unrelated crime of breaking government accounting rules. She was replaced by current President Michel Temer, who has been accused of chairing a 2010 meeting in which his PMDB party negotiated a US$40 million bribe from the Odebrecht engineering conglomerate involved in the Car Wash scandal.

While Temer has immunity from prosecution for alleged crimes committed before his term, eight of his ministers are under investigation for related graft allegations.

Categories: Politics, Brazil.

Top Comments

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  • :o))

    Wasn't it 32 years of the prison sentence but Released? And that too, “Temporarily”? As usual, the Brazilians keep watching the drama calmly!

    May 03rd, 2017 - 10:18 am 0
  • Jack Bauer

    Although I think the SOB should rot in jail, the STF (namely the “petista” judges), decided to free him....the reason - technically correct, is that he cannot he held in prison indefinitely without a condemnation from a 2nd instance federal court....this will happen though, and when it does, the SOB goes back to prison, where hopefully, he will die.

    May 03rd, 2017 - 09:52 pm 0
  • :o))

    I hope so too!

    Unfortunately, the other crooks are doing their best to escape - either the imprisonment or the accusations. It looks like most of them are likely to succeed. Besides, Marcelo Odebrecht and Eike Batista will be ready, able and willing to “support” these crooks.

    May 04th, 2017 - 08:21 pm 0
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