Former Brazilian president Lula 'played key role' in Petrobras corruption

Brazil's Attorney General Rodrigo Janot has asked the Supreme Court to authorise an investigation against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for alleged corruption.

Janot accused Lula of playing a key role in the huge corruption scandal at the state oil company, Petrobras.

The former president was previously accused of getting a penthouse flat in favourable conditions from a building company involved in the Petrobras scandal.

But the accusations filed now by the Brazilian attorney general are much more serious.

Janot said Lula and other senior politicians conspired to create a scheme that siphoned off vast amounts of money from Petrobras.

He requested authorisation to investigate Lula and 29 other senior politicians, officials and businessmen.

Local media report that Janot also requested that current President Dilma Rousseff be investigated.

The reports say she is suspected of obstructing the corruption inquiry.

However, there has been no official confirmation yet of the request for investigation of President Rousseff.

Lula’s name was included in the case against Senator Delcidio do Amaral, who in December was charged with obstructing Brazil’s largest ever corruption investigation for trying to stop Nestor Cervero from collaborating, newspaper Estado de S.Paulo reported.

Dozens of construction executives have been accused of overcharging Petrobras for work and using excess funds to bribe politicians, a scandal that has triggered Brazil’s most explosive political crisis in decades and increased calls for the removal of Rousseff.

The newspaper obtained court documents showing the prosecutor general, Rodrigo Janot, had charged Lula, Rousseff’s predecessor and mentor. The case is proceeding in secret at the supreme court and the federal prosecutors’ office would not confirm the charge.

The supreme court did confirm on Tuesday that Janot asked for Lula and several of Rousseff’s ministers to be formally investigated, including chief of staff Jaques Wagner; the minister in charge of legislative affairs, Ricardo Berzoini; and Rousseff’s spokesman Edinho Silva.

Janot is expanding the investigation largely because of testimony from Amaral, who decided to collaborate with the investigation in exchange for a lighter sentence. The court was already investigating some 50 politicians, including the leaders of both houses of Congress.

Janot’s requests add to a growing uproar over just how many senior politicians are suspected of taking kickbacks from Petroleo Brasileiro SA, now known as Petrobras.

Senior politicians will likely continue to face legal problems, and possible jail terms, well past Rousseff’s anticipated removal. Brazil’s Senate this month will weigh her suspension ahead of a trial on charges over budget irregularities.

The lower house of Congress voted overwhelmingly to impeach Rousseff last month. She says she has done nothing wrong.