This Article is From Oct 03, 2015

Brazil Court Allows Lula da Silva Questioning in Petrobras Corruption Case

Brazil Court Allows Lula da Silva Questioning in Petrobras Corruption Case

File photo of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. (AFP)

Rio De Janeiro: Brazil's Supreme Court authorized the questioning by police of ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a broadening corruption case focussed on state-run oil company Petrobras, a representative for the court said on Friday.

The original motion for permission to question Lula as a witness, which was filed last month, said the popular leader "may have benefited" from the political kickback scheme.

Lula may have "secured advantages for himself, for his party ... or for his government by maintaining a base of political support sustained by illicit business" at the company, investigators wrote in the motion.

Prosecutors say there is no investigation into Lula or any evidence tying him to crimes, but they said they think the corruption scheme started with the former president's chief of staff, Jose Dirceu.

A representative for Lula in Brazil declined to comment.

In the motion, investigators said it was necessary to question Lula because the probe, and evidence obtained in plea bargain testimony from officials already convicted in the scandal, "reaches the political and partisan nucleus of his government."


 
© Thomson Reuters 2015
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