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Brazilian police detain former president Lula in corruption inquiry | Brazilian police detain former president Lula in corruption inquiry |
(35 minutes later) | |
Brazilian police are questioning the former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after raiding his home and several associated buildings in a search for evidence as part of an ongoing corruption investigation. | |
The detention of the influential Workers’ party politician – who is best known by his nickname Lula – marks a dramatic new phase of the Lava Jato (“carwash”) inquiry into bribery and kickback allegations involving leading Brazilian companies and dozens of congressmen. | |
The huge investigation – easily the biggest in the country’s history – initially focused on corruption and money laundering at the oil company Petrobras but has since widened to include construction and brokerage firms. | |
It is likely to add to the pressure on the government of Dilma Rousseff, who is already struggling with an impeachment challenge, economic recession and the Zika epidemic. | |
Federal police launched the action against Lula early on Friday morning with raids on his apartment in São Bernardo do Campo, the home of his son Fabio Luiz, the Lula Institute, and addresses in Bahia and Rio de Janeiro. | Federal police launched the action against Lula early on Friday morning with raids on his apartment in São Bernardo do Campo, the home of his son Fabio Luiz, the Lula Institute, and addresses in Bahia and Rio de Janeiro. |
According to local media, about 200 officers and 30 tax auditors were involved in this phase of the operation, which has been named Aletheia – meaning “truth of disclosure” in Greek. Police reportedly have 33 warrants for search and seizure and 11 warrants for the arrest of individuals wanted for questioning, including Lula, his wife, Marisa, his children Marcos Claudio, Fabio Luis, Sandro Luis, and Marlene Araujo, and the head of the Lula Institute, Paul Okamotto. | |
The warrants were granted by Judge Sergio Moro in Curitiba, where the Lava Jato investigation is based. | |
Related: Zika crisis and economic woes bring gloom to Brazil's Olympic buildup | Related: Zika crisis and economic woes bring gloom to Brazil's Olympic buildup |
The inquiry is said to be based on testimony given in a plea bargain by the Workers’ party senator Delcídio do Amaral, who has allegedly accused the former president of trying to buy the silence of witnesses, including Nestor Cervero, the former Petrobras director. | |
Police are also looking into newspaper reports alleging that Lula received favours from construction firms in the form of work done at apartments in Atibaia and Guarujá, São Paulo. | |
The former president – who has recently indicated that he may stand again in 2018 – has denied the accusations against him, saying they are politically motivated. He has not been charged with a crime. | |
The Lula Institute put out a statement on Thursday saying “former President Lula never participated directly or indirectly in any illegality”. | The Lula Institute put out a statement on Thursday saying “former President Lula never participated directly or indirectly in any illegality”. |
Union members, who are supporters of the Workers’ party, are reportedly protesting in front of Lula’s house. |