Brazil's Senate Speaker Renan Calheiros was suspended from duties by a Supreme Curt judge Monday, pending his trial where he faces corruption charges in what constitutes anothe blow to President Michel Temer's administration. The decision, made by judge Marco Aurelio Mello was effective immediately, but needs to be confirmed by a majority of judges on the supreme court bench, a court official said.
Federal prosecutors and Odebrecht SA have agreed on the world's biggest plea and leniency deal under which the embattled engineering conglomerate would pay around 7 billion Reais (US$ 2 billion) in fines related to its role in Brazil's biggest corruption scandal, local media reported.
Former Senator Delcídio do Amaral described as “surreal” the notion that former President Lula da Silva was not aware of a giant corruption scheme active during his tenure, in testimony on Monday marking the start of the trial against the man that ran Brazil from 2003 to 2010.
The former governor of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro was arrested Thursday for allegedly embezzling funds intended for public works projects, authorities said. Sergio Cabral was apprehended at his home in Rio de Janeiro city's Leblon neighborhood just one day after another former governor of that same state, Anthony Garotinho, was detained on suspicion of attempted vote-rigging.
Brazil's attorney general on Friday offered a joking retort to former President Lula da Silva's remark that the corruption allegations he faces are due to a diabolical pact among different institutions, saying he is not a religious person. What I can say is that I'm not religious, Rodrigo Janot joked to reporters when asked about Lula's comments. Janot, who gave a press conference to review anti-corruption investigations this year, added that Lula was free to express his opinion.
Brazil's current foreign minister Jose Serra name has emerged in the Petrobras investigation of companies, politicians and company's unfaithful officials. The construction group Odebrecht provided two names to the Lava Jato (Car Wash) investigation as being those who carried out operations that transferred R$ 23 million (US$ 7.3 million) from the construction company to the 2010 presidential campaign of Jose Serra, in off-the-books transactions.
Authorities say they have arrested four Congressional police agents posted inside Brazil's Senate for allegedly obstructing an investigation into lawmakers' suspected involvement in the corruption-kickback scheme at state-owned oil company Petrobras. Federal police said in a statement that those arrested Friday include Pedro Carvalho, head of the Senate police, which is a distinct agency.
The corruption-related arrest of a former top Brazilian lawmaker on Wednesday threatens to revive political turmoil and snap the momentum of a government economic reform campaign. Eduardo Cunha was taken into police custody Wednesday on accusations of corruption and money laundering related to oil platform contracts with state-controlled Petrobras. He denies the accusations.
A federal judge in Brazil ruled on Thursday that former President Lula da Silva will stand trial for an alleged bribery scheme related to work by construction giant Odebrecht in Angola. It's the second time in less than a month that a federal judge has ruled that Lula, a two-term president who left office in 2011 as Brazil's most popular president must stand trial.
Brazilian prosecutors said on Monday they had charged former President Lula da Silva and Marcelo Odebrecht, ex-CEO of engineering group Odebrecht SA, with corruption related to contracts in Angola.