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Brazilian police raid home of speaker Cunha and other senior politicians Brazilian police raid home of speaker Cunha and other senior politicians
(about 3 hours later)
Brazilian police have raided the homes of the speaker of the country’s lower house, Eduardo Cunha, and at least one minister, widening the scope of an investigation into a suspected web of corruption linking ruling coalition politicians and influential business figures. Brazil’s impeachment duel has tilted back in favour of president Dilma Rousseff after her most strident opponent suffered twin blows from the police and a congressional ethics committee.
Cunha is at loggerheads with Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, after opening impeachment proceedings against her on 2 December over opposition allegations that she violated budget laws to increase spending during her re-election campaign last year. Two weeks after lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha launched proceedings to remove the head of state from office, his home was raided by detectives as part of the Lava Jato (Car Wash) investigation into alleged corruption at Petrobras and other major companies.
A federal police statement said the swoop on Cunha’s homes in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro were among 53 raids carried out in seven states on Tuesday. Targets included the residences of the tourism minister, Henrique Eduardo Alves, former mining and energy minister Edison Lobão and lower house legislator Anibal Gomes. Hours later, the lower house ethics committee announced it would investigate claims that the once-untouchable politician lied about Swiss bank accounts. If proven, this could result in his removal from office.
The speaker is now fighting for political survival in the face of calls for his resignation and multiple investigations for taking bribes, including a recent accusation that he received 45m reais ($12m) from investment bank Grupo BTG Pactual.
The house ethics committee voted 11-9 to begin hearings on whether to strip Cunha of his seat and his political rights for allegedly lying to a congressional hearing on corruption in March, when he said he had no bank accounts abroad.
Cunha triggered impeachment proceedings against Rousseff on 2 December over opposition allegations that she violated budget laws to increase spending during her re-election campaign last year.
Related: Dilma Rousseff's fate as Brazil president could hinge on her political enemiesRelated: Dilma Rousseff's fate as Brazil president could hinge on her political enemies
News channel GloboNews reported that the home of the science minister, Celso Pansera, had also been searched, but it was not immediately possible to confirm that. The ethics case and the police raid may weaken Cunha’s effort to unseat the president and undermine his credibility in the divided Brazilian Democratic Movement Party. The PMDB is the largest party in Rousseff’s governing coalition, and its moderate members hold crucial swing votes to decide on her impeachment.
GloboNews broadcast images of Cunha’s home in Brasilia, the country’s capital, surrounded by police vans. The veteran legislator, a former Rousseff ally turned adversary, remained inside the house, an aide said. Rousseff is struggling to contain the political crisis amid Brazil’s worst recession in 25 years and the massive Petrobras graft scandal, but she is not being investigated for corruption.
The lawyers for Gomes, Pansera and Lobão could not be contacted immediately for comment. Calls to the federal police in Brasilia and Cunha’s lawyer were not immediately answered. Prosecutors are investigating whether Cunha, who is third in the line of presidential succession, received a $5m kickback in the graft scheme uncovered at Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as Petrobras is formally known.
Police said supreme federal court justice Teori Zawascki gave the go-ahead for the searches as part of “Operation Car Wash”, an inquiry into alleged payment of bribes for contracts at state-controlled firms, especially oil concern Petrobras – Brazil’s biggest corruption scandal. Alerted by Brazilian authorities, Swiss prosecutors located accounts held by Cunha and his wife at the Julius Baer bank and found details of lavish credit card spending.
Cunha, whose Democratic Movement party is the coalition’s largest, was charged in August with graft and money-laundering, becoming the first sitting politician to face prosecution under Operation Car Wash. As evidence mounted against him, Cunha lost control of the lower house, where lawmakers have asked prosecutors to force his ouster.
He quit Rousseff’s coalition in July and this month kicked off impeachment proceedings against her. Cunha has also halted to ease Brazil’s swelling fiscal shortfall by spurring the passage of bills ramping up spending. Committee members almost came to blows on Thursday in a heated argument over attempts by Cunha’s supporters to put off a vote against him.
Many Brazilians are less upset about Rousseff’s alleged budget violations than about the worst economic recession in at least 25 years and the graft scandal at Petrobras that has ensnared many of Rousseff’s allies. “Any speaker in the same situation, anywhere in the world, would have already quit his post,” said congressman Chico Alencar, from the leftist PSOL party.
Rousseff is not under investigation, but many question how she could not have known about the corruption as she was chair of the company from 2003-10. A federal police statement said the swoop on Cunha’s homes in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro were among 53 raids carried out in seven states on Tuesday. Targets included the residences of the tourism minister, Henrique Eduardo Alves, former mining and energy minister Edison Lobão and lower house legislator Anibal Gomes.
Many Brazilians are less upset about Rousseff’s alleged budget violations than about the recession and the graft scandal that has ensnared many of Rousseff’s allies.
Though Rousseff is not under investigation, many question how she could not have known about the corruption, as she was chair of the company from 2003-10.
Reuters contributed to this report