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| Brazil’s former presidential chief of staff charged with corruption | Brazil’s former presidential chief of staff charged with corruption |
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| Federal prosecutors filed corruption, racketeering and money-laundering charges against José Dirceu, Brazil’s former presidential chief of staff, for his alleged involvement in a massive fraud involving state-owned oil company Petrobras. | Federal prosecutors filed corruption, racketeering and money-laundering charges against José Dirceu, Brazil’s former presidential chief of staff, for his alleged involvement in a massive fraud involving state-owned oil company Petrobras. |
| Sixteen other people were also charged on Friday, including João Vaccari Neto, the former treasurer of Brazil’s governing Workers’ party and Renato de Souza Duque, Petrobras’s former head of corporate services. | Sixteen other people were also charged on Friday, including João Vaccari Neto, the former treasurer of Brazil’s governing Workers’ party and Renato de Souza Duque, Petrobras’s former head of corporate services. |
| Dirceu is the most senior member of the Workers’ party to be taken into custody in connection with the scheme. | Dirceu is the most senior member of the Workers’ party to be taken into custody in connection with the scheme. |
| Dirceu served as former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s chief of staff between 2003 and 2005. He was arrested in early August at his home, where he already was under house arrest serving an 11-year sentence for his involvement in a cash-for-votes scheme in Brazil’s congress more than 10 years ago. | Dirceu served as former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s chief of staff between 2003 and 2005. He was arrested in early August at his home, where he already was under house arrest serving an 11-year sentence for his involvement in a cash-for-votes scheme in Brazil’s congress more than 10 years ago. |
| Related: Brazil elite profit from $3bn Petrobras scandal as laid-off workers pay the price | |
| Prosecutors have said that Dirceu masterminded the kickback scheme at Petrobras, accepted bribes while in office and continued to receive payments from contractors after he was jailed in late 2013 for the vote-buying scandal. | Prosecutors have said that Dirceu masterminded the kickback scheme at Petrobras, accepted bribes while in office and continued to receive payments from contractors after he was jailed in late 2013 for the vote-buying scandal. |
| According to prosecutors, the scheme at Petrobras involved roughly $2bn (£1.3bn) in bribes and other illegal funds. Some of that money was allegedly funnelled back to campaign coffers of the ruling party and its allies. | According to prosecutors, the scheme at Petrobras involved roughly $2bn (£1.3bn) in bribes and other illegal funds. Some of that money was allegedly funnelled back to campaign coffers of the ruling party and its allies. |
| Bribes were also allegedly paid to Petrobras executives in return for inflated contracts. | Bribes were also allegedly paid to Petrobras executives in return for inflated contracts. |