MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Lula's political “handy man” Dirceu, starts 31-year prison sentence for corruption
Dirceu was jailed in Papuda, near Brasilia, and could next be transferred to the city of Curitiba, where the giant “Car Wash” anti-corruption operation is based 
Lula himself is incarcerated at the federal police headquarters in Curitiba, serving a 12-year sentence for taking an apartment as a bribe Jose Dirceu, former chief of staff under ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, surrendered last Friday to start a nearly 31-year prison sentence for corruption, officials said. Dirceu lost an appeal against his conviction for money laundering, corruption and membership of a criminal group, at a court in Porto Alegre on Thursday.
After turning himself in, he was jailed in Papuda, near the capital Brasilia, the state security secretariat said in a statement. He could next be transferred to the southern city of Curitiba, where the giant “Car Wash” anti-corruption operation is based, the official news agency Agencia Brasil reported.
Lula himself is incarcerated at the federal police headquarters in Curitiba, serving a 12-year sentence for taking an apartment as a bribe, a case he describes as politically motivated.
The two senior ex-politicians are among dozens of other well-known figures who have been caught in the “Car Wash” net. Investigators have uncovered a massive web of bribery and embezzlement in which politicians across the political spectrum colluded with executives at construction giant Odebrecht, among other companies, to plunder from state oil firm Petrobras.
Dirceu, 72, was Lula's right-hand man and one of the co-founders of Lula's Workers' Party. Arrested in 2015, he was convicted in May 2016, but allowed house arrest in May last year while he mounted his appeal.
A third major figure from the troubled Workers' Party, former finance minister Antonio Palocci, has been jailed since 2016 and is reportedly cooperating with prosecutors in a plea deal that would see him turn state's witness.
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Read all commentsNot all of the 'co'. Eduardo Cunha, former speaker of the lower house from Temer's party and one of the main people responsible for Dilma's impeachment, was jailed for 15 years back in March by Moro, who asked for him to be imprisoned even during his appeals.
May 22nd, 2018 - 08:45 am +1Just when I suspected that EVERYONE is intelligent:
May 22nd, 2018 - 09:35 am +1REF:
https://exame.abril.com.br/brasil/maradona-manda-apoio-a-lula-e-diz-que-ele-nao-fez-nada-de-errado/
Don't think Cunha has ruffled any feathers. He was pretty powerful and an ally of Temer - he helped Temer get the presidency if you want to look at it that way. It looks to me like there was simply too much evidence against him so his allies abandoned him to avoid being dragged down themselves.
May 23rd, 2018 - 11:26 am +1But I don't think there is any big plan, or mastermind controlling what is happening it Brazil. Some people are trying to fight corruption, some people are trying to take advantage of that to eliminate political rivals, some are trying to help out their friends, some are just trying to stay out of jail themselves. In some areas the Congress has power - so they were able to oust Dilma as President and protect Temer. In others it's the courts, and the parties in power have influence but not control over their decisions.
Normal politics is messy and chaotic with lots of disagreement, and I don't think this is any different.
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