Petrobras corruption allegations smear Brazil's political system a month ahead of elections

Monday, September 8th 2014 - 06:44 UTC

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A jailed former executive at state-controlled oil giant Petrobras Paulo Roberto Costa has reportedly implicated dozens of politicians from Brazil's leading political parties in a kickback scheme, a legal development that could shake up next month's general election. Read full article

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golfcronie
Not surprised by this article, I thought it was the norm in Latam countries to “skim a bit off the top” when awarding contracts. You couldn't feather your nest otherwise. The problem is don't indite someone “ in the know” because they will inevitably go for a plea bargain to lessen their sentence. So corrupt these countries and the real problem is that whoever gets in power will still “skim”
Sep 08th, 2014 - 07:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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GeoffWard2
By implication the plea-bargain is damning Dilma who ruled Petrobras for all those years.
Like Lula before her (and during and after her) Dilma will simply use the age old Brasilian tactic of saying “It wor'nt me, guv” and “I knew nothing about what was going on”.
Sep 08th, 2014 - 10:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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ChrisR
@ 2 GeoffWard2
“It wor'nt me, guv” and “I knew nothing about what was going on”.

Of course she will use it, she knows by firsthand knowledge that it does work after the US Military Officer was killed by HER cell and she used it then.
Sep 08th, 2014 - 06:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Jack Bauer
“”Aécio accused the PT of “robbing” state-run companies to guarantee its permanence in power and indirectly held Rousseff responsible, saying she has controlled Petrobras with an “iron fist” over the past 12 years, as Minister of Mines and Energy, Chief of Staff to former President Lula da Silva, and now as head of State“”.
Although I hate fat-ass Dilma, I don’t think any direct accusations against her will stick. Congress will probably make the same mistake as they did when they decided to not go ahead with the impeachment of Lulla, despite his obvious involvement in the “mensalão”… On the other hand, neither do I think she'll be so stupid as to allege she didn't know what was going on....instead, she will simply keep on denying that it ever happened, and if it reaches a point where she can no longer deny it, she'll just resort to another of Lulla's lies, “ I was betrayed”...
AGW, and after the PT is kicked out, the next President has to demand a thorough investigation of Petrobrás and full disclosure of all malfeasance in the Company, after it returned to State control during Lulla’s 2nd term.
Sep 08th, 2014 - 06:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Briton
These south Americans are masters at corruption,

it must be true, as no argie blogger's are willing to defend it..
Sep 08th, 2014 - 07:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Jack Bauer
Re my#4 above, I must confess I was wrong about which line of defense Dumbass Dilma would adopt....she's just declared to the press that she “had no idea what was going on in Petrobrás”.........can you believe it ? To me, she'd rather be seen as some innocent idiot than to have to admit she's corrupt.
On a similar note, Mantega, after learning that Dumbass Dilma was going to fire him if she gets a 2nd term, put out a short note saying that he had already taken the decision to step down, for personal reasons......well, that I can 'almost' believe....not even Mantega can put up with his own incompetence, any longer.
Sep 08th, 2014 - 10:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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