MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
In eight years Brazilian officials skimmed 37.7bn dollars from government coffers
The period corresponds to the eight years of Lula da Silva Brazilian officials skimmed at least a staggering equivalent of 37.7bn dollars from government coffers in just eight years of corruption cases from 2003-2010, the Rio do Janeiro daily O Globo reported, based on numbers from the country’s Public Accounts ombudsman.
Citing federal documents of the office in charge of trying to recover the funds, the report said that it only managed to recover in the eight years, 845 million dollars.
The figures however pale in comparison to another new estimate: newsmagazine Veja on Sunday cited the influential Sao Paulo chamber of industries as saying a jaw-dropping more than 400 billion dollars are thought to have been stolen from the government and taxpayers in the past 10 years. This is equivalent to 2.3% of Brazil’s GDP annually.
Four ministers in President Dilma Rousseff's cabinet have been forced to step down amid corruption allegations in just three months.
A fifth minister Orlando Silva from Sports and responsible for 2014 World Cup organization and logistics was accused of graft and kickbacks. Even when President Rousseff confirmed him in the job, Silva is being investigated by the Federal Police and Justice.
Top Comments
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Read all commentsFOUR HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS of Brasilian's money stolen by the politicians - largely under Lula's period of management.
Oct 26th, 2011 - 09:57 am 0Is there any wonder I get upset!
British lightweights :-)))))
Oct 26th, 2011 - 11:08 am 0MPs' expenses: 'duck island' Conservative is forced to retire
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/20/mps-expenses-peter-viggers-conservatives
Considering everything I know of O Globo, I'm inclined to believe that is an invention.
Oct 27th, 2011 - 02:36 pm 0“largely under Lula's period of management”
Don't be silly, Geoff. Even if one is to take O Globo's numbers seriously, they only analyzed the 8 years period coinciding with Lula's government. So of course it was largely under his government, genius. It is also under his period that there have been the largest amount of prosecutions involving political corruption, whilst in the FHC period corruption was hidden and FHC himself said he didn't want any prosecutions against politicians during his government (he did say that, and I can prove it).
@sticky
Since when do you intellectual dwarf care about Brazilian issues? Are you commenting on here because of me? Have my treatment of your decadent country hurt your feelings?
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