MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
No end to Petrobras spill: powerful couple (Senator and ex minister) indicted on corruption charges
Hoffmann, ex chief of staff to Rousseff during her first term, and husband Paulo Bernardo Silva, allegedly illegally received funds for her 2010 Senate campaign. 
Bernardo Silva, who was Rousseff's communications minister, requested the funds from former Petrobras supply director Paulo Roberto Costa 
The money used in Parana Senator Hoffmann's campaign was never declared to electoral authorities. She strongly defended Rousseff during the impeachment Brazilian Senator Gleisi Hoffmann and her husband, Paulo Bernardo Silva, who both served in the ousted government of former President Dilma Rousseff, were indicted on Tuesday by the Supreme Court on corruption and money laundering charges in the Petrobras graft investigation.
Hoffmann, who was chief of staff to Rousseff during her first term, and husband Paulo Bernardo Silva, will stand trial for allegedly receiving 1 million reais (US$309,000) in kickback money to illegally fund her 2010 Senate election campaign.
As an elected official, Hoffmann can only be tried by the Supreme Court and five justices on the top court ruled unanimously to accept the charges against her. She is the third sitting politician to go on trial in the massive bribery and kickback scandal uncovered two years ago at state-run oil company Petrobras.
The corruption scandal contributed to the removal of Rousseff in an impeachment trial in August, ending 13 years of populist Workers Party rule.
Prosecutors said Bernardo Silva, who was Rousseff's communications minister, requested the funds from former Petrobras supply director Paulo Roberto Costa when he was planning minister in the previous Workers Party-led government of Lula da Silva.
The money was used in Hoffmann's campaign and never declared to electoral authorities, they said. Hoffmann is Senator for the southern state of Parana and strongly defended Rousseff during the impeachment process.
Lawyers for the couple said the alleged donation to Hoffmann's campaign never existed and rejected the “extremely fragile” allegations against Bernardo Silva as false presumption. They said Bernardo Silva as a minister had no influence over Costa.
The indictments come just a few days before Brazil's municipal elections next Sunday, October 2.
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Read all commentsAnd they all live happily ever after!
Sep 28th, 2016 - 01:26 pm 0If you call “prison” living happily .....
Sep 28th, 2016 - 05:06 pm 0As the say here“ a agua já está batendo na bunda”....
REF: 2: OK, Jack! Pl. allow me to elaborate as follows:
Sep 29th, 2016 - 11:19 am 0#1: The convicted & condemned politicians will either be in “5-Star Prisons” or will be imprisoned at their own luxurious mansions.
#2: Although sentenced for many years - for most of them - the sentences will be reduced drastically; under one pretext or the other.
#3: They may return a very small % of their illicit fortunes - merely as a token - to satisfy the gullible masses.
#4: No so clandestinely; they will remain as politically active, under one flag or another.
#5: They will continue with their “normal” activities of stealing the taxpayers; in more refined & sophisticated ways [for not getting caught AGAIN].
#6: The “new laws” will ensure “better safety” to the crooks.
Thus they will continue to live happily ever after!
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