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Brazil prosecutors request arrest of ex-President Lula | Brazil prosecutors request arrest of ex-President Lula |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Brazilian prosecutors have requested the arrest of ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a money laundering inquiry. | Brazilian prosecutors have requested the arrest of ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a money laundering inquiry. |
Prosecutors in Sao Paulo state said Lula should be placed in "preventive custody". | |
They earlier filed charges accusing him of failing to declare ownership of a luxury sea-front penthouse in the seaside resort of Guaruja. | They earlier filed charges accusing him of failing to declare ownership of a luxury sea-front penthouse in the seaside resort of Guaruja. |
Lula denies any wrongdoing and says the claims are politically motivated. | |
'Media campaign' | |
The prosecutors said they were seeking the arrest on charges of money laundering for concealing ownership of the apartment. | |
They said the request was based on an assumption that Mr Lula might try to obstruct the investigation. | |
The request still has to be accepted or rejected by a judge. | The request still has to be accepted or rejected by a judge. |
Lead prosecutor Cassio Conserino said the state inquiry was looking specifically into the ownership of the apartment. | |
Lula, 70, denies all accusations and says he never owned the flat. | |
His lawyer Cristiano Zanin Martins said there was a "media campaign" against the former president. | |
"The owner of a property is the person listed in the registry. It doesn't matter who some people think it belongs to," Mr Martins said. | |
Petrobras | |
Last week, Lula was briefly detained and questioned in a separate federal probe which is looking into whether extensive refurbishment on the penthouse constitutes favours in exchange for political benefit. | |
The renovations were carried out by one of the country's biggest construction firms, OAS. | |
Officially the apartment belongs to OAS, which is itself accused of paying bribes to politicians and senior officials at state oil company Petrobras to secure lucrative contracts. | |
In addition, federal prosecutors are looking into allegations that Lula has sold his influence in President Dilma Rousseff's administration in exchange for donations to his Instituto Lula non-profit foundation. | |
Last week's questioning of the former president led to criticism not only from his supporters but also from judges and politicians, who said it was unnecessary. | |
His supporters say the attacks on him are aimed at tarnishing his reputation, amid rumours that he may run for office again in 2018. | |
Lula was Brazil's left-leaning president from 2003 to 2011 and was succeeded in office by his political protege, Dilma Rousseff, who has record-low approval rates amid a serious economic crisis. | |
She joined hundreds of people showing support for the former president last Saturday. | She joined hundreds of people showing support for the former president last Saturday. |
Lula, a former factory worker and union leader, remains a very popular figure in Brazil despite the accusations against senior members of his Workers' Party. |