In a landmark judgment, Brazil's Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld more than a dozen jail terms handed down in a political corruption scandal which broke in 2005.
Brazil's Supreme Court has narrowly ruled in favour of reopening the country's biggest corruption trial. The court agreed that 12 of 25 people convicted in a scheme using public funds to pay parties for political support could have appeals heard.
A hacker in Brazil has published sensitive personal data of politicians convicted during a major corruption trial known as the Mensalao. Jose Genoino, Jose Dirceu and Delubio Soares have had address, phone numbers, emails and other details exposed.
The chief of staff to former President Lula da Silva, and fellow founder of Brazil's ruling Workers' Party, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for running a congressional vote buying scheme almost a decade ago.
Brazil's Supreme Court convicted three top aides of former president Lula da Silva of graft related to a vote-buying scheme in Congress. Lula's ex-chief of staff Jose Dirceu was found guilty by six of the 10 judges in connection with the scheme that ran from 2002 to 2005 during the popular president's first term, a court spokesman said.
The so called “trail of the century” in Brazil has already condemned 22 of the 37 culprits and on Wednesday is expected to peak when three former leaders of the ruling Workers’ Party are formally accused of having setup a network of bribes to ensure a majority in congress.
Former Brazilian president Lula da Silva was “the chief” of the corruption network the ruling Workers Party had organized to have sufficient votes in Congress, according to a report published in the weekly Veja, the magazine with the largest circulation in the country.
Brazil’s Supreme Tribunal is preparing details for the so called “major trial” of the country’s history which accuses 38 high ranking politicians and officials involved in a 2005 corruption case which almost tumbled the government of then President Lula da Silva.