Leaked personal messages published on Saturday by a news website show the judge who led the corruption trial that jailed former Brazil president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva advised prosecutors to influence public opinion against the leftist leader.

The Intercept posted what it said were social media chats from then judge Sergio Moro to the prosecution team, suggesting prosecutors make a public statement playing up what Moro said were contradictions in Lula`s testimony to undermine his claim to be a victim of political persecution.

The exchange occurred after Lula`s May 10, 2017 deposition against charges that he took a beachside luxury apartment as a bribe. Lula left the court room to tell supporters that he was being "massacred" and was preparing to run for president again.

Moro, who is now Brazil`s justice minister, questioned the authenticity of the messages and said he would not comment on texts obtained by hackers.&nbsp;

"The supposed material, obtained in a criminal way, must be presented to an independent authority so that its integrity can be certified," he said in a statement.

The texts copied off the Telegram messaging app appear to show Moro suggesting to prosecutors that they mount a public campaign against the man he was judging, and The Intercept said they raised doubts about Moro`s impartiality in the trial that led to a 12-year prison sentence for Lula.

"Maybe tomorrow you should write a statement clarifying the contradictions between (Lula`s) deposition and the rest of the proof and his previous statement," the judge wrote to prosecutor Carlos dos Santos Lima on the corruption investigation.

Lula`s lawyers said the messages confirmed their accusation that the former president was "a victim of lawfare" and a "state-sponsored persecution."

Lula`s lawyers have long argued that Moro was a politically motivated judge who wanted to jail their client to block him from running for the presidency last year, when opinion polls showed him easily leading the race, even after he had been jailed.&nbsp;

In an interview published on Friday, Moro told the Estado de S.Paulo newspaper that he was not worried that the corruption conviction against Lula would be overturned, which legal experts including the Brazilian Bar Association and some Supreme Court Justices have said could happen.

The Intercept has published stories based on what it said was an "enormous trove" of messages received from an anonymous source containing exchanges between prosecutors, Moro and others involved in the investigation and prosecution of the "Car Wash" corruption probe.&nbsp;

Considered the world`s largest graft investigation, it has uncovered billions of dollars of bribes paid in schemes mostly involving sweetheart contracts at state-run firms. It has brought down hundreds of members of the business and political elite in Brazil and across Latin America.

Moro told the newspaper he did not think there was anything illegal in his chats with prosecutors and insisted that Lula`s case "was decided with absolute impartiality based on proof without any type of influence."

Moro was picked for justice minister by right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who won the presidency after Lula was barred from running because of his conviction.&nbsp;

Leaked personal messages published on Saturday by a news website show the judge who led the corruption trial that jailed former Brazil president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva advised prosecutors to influence public opinion against the leftist leader.

Leaked personal messages published on Saturday by a news website show the judge who led the corruption trial that jailed former Brazil president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva advised prosecutors to influence public opinion against the leftist leader. The Intercept posted what it said were social media chats from then judge Sergio Moro to the prosecution team, suggesting prosecutors make a public statement playing up what Moro said were contradictions in Lula`s testimony to undermine his claim to be a victim of political persecution. The exchange occurred after Lula`s May 10, 2017 deposition against charges that he took a beachside luxury apartment as a bribe. Lula left the court room to tell supporters that he was being "massacred" and was preparing to run for president again. Moro, who is now Brazil`s justice minister, questioned the authenticity of the messages and said he would not comment on texts obtained by hackers. "The supposed material, obtained in a criminal way, must be presented to an independent authority so that its integrity can be certified," he said in a statement. The texts copied off the Telegram messaging app appear to show Moro suggesting to prosecutors that they mount a public campaign against the man he was judging, and The Intercept said they raised doubts about Moro`s impartiality in the trial that led to a 12-year prison sentence for Lula. "Maybe tomorrow you should write a statement clarifying the contradictions between (Lula`s) deposition and the rest of the proof and his previous statement," the judge wrote to prosecutor Carlos dos Santos Lima on the corruption investigation. Lula`s lawyers said the messages confirmed their accusation that the former president was "a victim of lawfare" and a "state-sponsored persecution." Lula`s lawyers have long argued that Moro was a politically motivated judge who wanted to jail their client to block him from running for the presidency last year, when opinion polls showed him easily leading the race, even after he had been jailed. In an interview published on Friday, Moro told the Estado de S.Paulo newspaper that he was not worried that the corruption conviction against Lula would be overturned, which legal experts including the Brazilian Bar Association and some Supreme Court Justices have said could happen. The Intercept has published stories based on what it said was an "enormous trove" of messages received from an anonymous source containing exchanges between prosecutors, Moro and others involved in the investigation and prosecution of the "Car Wash" corruption probe. Considered the world`s largest graft investigation, it has uncovered billions of dollars of bribes paid in schemes mostly involving sweetheart contracts at state-run firms. It has brought down hundreds of members of the business and political elite in Brazil and across Latin America. Moro told the newspaper he did not think there was anything illegal in his chats with prosecutors and insisted that Lula`s case "was decided with absolute impartiality based on proof without any type of influence." Moro was picked for justice minister by right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who won the presidency after Lula was barred from running because of his conviction.

Brazil: Leaked chats appear to show judge advised prosecutors in President Lula's case

A Brazilian appeals court Wednesday upheld ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva&#39;s conviction for corruption, dealing a body blow to his hopes of running for re-election this year.

The three-judge panel sitting in the southern city of Porto Alegre unanimously ruled that his original 9.5-year jail sentence be extended to more than 12 years.

Thousands of Lula supporters rallied in Sao Paolo to protest the verdict.&nbsp;

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Wearing a short-sleeved black T-shirt, the 72-year-old was defiant, telling the crowd of around 10,000 that he intended to run for the presidency despite the court setback.

&quot;Now I want to run for the presidency,&quot; he said to wild cheers. &quot;They can take away my rights; no big deal. What I&#39;d like to differ with them on is the conscience of the Brazilian people.

&quot;Mandela was put in prison and then he came back and became president of South Africa,&quot; he added, comparing himself to the great African statesman.

One of the judges, Joao Gebran Neto, said in his ruling that during his 2003-2010 presidency, Lula was one of the architects &quot;of a sophisticated scheme of fraud and corruption&quot; that had weakened Brazil&#39;s entire political system.

A defiant Lula said before the judgment he would continue to fight &quot;for the dignity of the Brazilian people&quot; and insisted he had committed no crime.

Lula is likely to remain out of prison for many months. He is expected to continue to challenge the conviction through higher courts, initially in the Superior Court of Justice and ultimately in Brazil&#39;s Supreme Court.&nbsp;

However, Wednesday&#39;s ruling deals a severe blow to his hopes of running in this year&#39;s presidential election, which he was favored to win.

&quot;It complicates his plans to run for the presidency this year but it doesn&#39;t finish them altogether,&quot; said market analysts Capital Economics in a note.

&quot;The unanimous verdict is important since it reduces the avenues of appeal that are now open to Lula. That being said, it does not close them off completely.

&quot;If pushed, we would say that there is still something like a 30 percent chance that he ends up on the ballot,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

The deadline for registration of candidates is August 15. The Workers&#39; Party has until September 17 to replace Lula as their candidate, if necessary -- three weeks before the first round of the election on October 7. &nbsp;

- High security - 
The court convened amid high security in the tense southern city of Porto Alegre to rule on Lula&#39;s appeal against his July conviction in Brazil&#39;s sprawling &quot;Car Wash&quot; graft scandal, with thousands of supporters and opponents of the leftist icon gathered to await the ruling.

As the judges presented their verdicts, Lula was hundreds of kilometers (miles) away near Sao Paulo, addressing former colleagues in the powerful metalworkers&#39; union he once led.&nbsp;

&quot;I am extremely calm, with the awareness that I have committed no crime,&quot; he told union members.

The key allegation against him is that he was gifted a three-floor seaside apartment from Brazil&#39;s OAS construction group in exchange for public contracts from state-controlled oil company Petrobras during his two-term presidency.

Defense lawyer Cristiano Zanin Martins had told the court it was clear OAS owned the renovated apartment, and that Lula &quot;never got the keys and never spent a night there.&quot;&nbsp;

But in his judgment, Gebran Neto said there was evidence &quot;that the triplex apartment, from the beginning, even before the OAS took over the works, was reserved for President Lula.&quot;

The defense had argued that no title existed in his name, but the judge said the lack of a document was intended precisely to hide the real recipient of the apartment.

A second judge, Leandro Paulsen, agreed with that understanding but considered an aggravating circumstance the fact that Lula had operated as guarantor &quot;of a scheme that emptied the coffers of Petrobras.&quot;

Market up 
Helicopters hovered near the courthouse, and even ships were being used to protect the building, which is located next to a river.

Argentine ex-footballer Diego Maradona used social media to voice his support for Lula, and released pictures of him holding a Brazil football jersey printed with Lula&#39;s name.&nbsp;

&quot;My dear Lula, Diego is with You,&quot; wrote Maradona in Portuguese.

But Lula is also hated by many Brazilians who want to see him behind bars. Similarly, the markets were betting against a Lula run for the presidency.&nbsp;

Sao Paolo&#39;s stock exchange soared 3.7 percent to a record high within an hour of the court confirming Lula&#39;s conviction.

&quot;Markets cannot hide their enthusiasm: a ruling against Lula, who has promised to revert part of President Michel Temer&#39;s business-friendly reforms, is widely seen as a fatal blow to his presidential bid,&quot; said Silvio Cascione in a note from the Eurasia consultancy. 
&nbsp;

The three-judge panel sitting in the southern city of Porto Alegre unanimously ruled that his original 9.5-year jail sentence be extended to more than 12 years

A Brazilian appeals court Wednesday upheld ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's conviction for corruption, dealing a body blow to his hopes of running for re-election this year. The three-judge panel sitting in the southern city of Porto Alegre unanimously ruled that his original 9.5-year jail sentence be extended to more than 12 years. Thousands of Lula supporters rallied in Sao Paolo to protest the verdict. Lula was defiant, telling the crowd of around 10,000 that he intended to run for the presidency despite the court setback × Wearing a short-sleeved black T-shirt, the 72-year-old was defiant, telling the crowd of around 10,000 that he intended to run for the presidency despite the court setback. "Now I want to run for the presidency," he said to wild cheers. "They can take away my rights; no big deal. What I'd like to differ with them on is the conscience of the Brazilian people. "Mandela was put in prison and then he came back and became president of South Africa," he added, comparing himself to the great African statesman. One of the judges, Joao Gebran Neto, said in his ruling that during his 2003-2010 presidency, Lula was one of the architects "of a sophisticated scheme of fraud and corruption" that had weakened Brazil's entire political system. A defiant Lula said before the judgment he would continue to fight "for the dignity of the Brazilian people" and insisted he had committed no crime. Lula is likely to remain out of prison for many months. He is expected to continue to challenge the conviction through higher courts, initially in the Superior Court of Justice and ultimately in Brazil's Supreme Court. However, Wednesday's ruling deals a severe blow to his hopes of running in this year's presidential election, which he was favored to win. "It complicates his plans to run for the presidency this year but it doesn't finish them altogether," said market analysts Capital Economics in a note. "The unanimous verdict is important since it reduces the avenues of appeal that are now open to Lula. That being said, it does not close them off completely. "If pushed, we would say that there is still something like a 30 percent chance that he ends up on the ballot," it said. The deadline for registration of candidates is August 15. The Workers' Party has until September 17 to replace Lula as their candidate, if necessary -- three weeks before the first round of the election on October 7. - High security - The court convened amid high security in the tense southern city of Porto Alegre to rule on Lula's appeal against his July conviction in Brazil's sprawling "Car Wash" graft scandal, with thousands of supporters and opponents of the leftist icon gathered to await the ruling. As the judges presented their verdicts, Lula was hundreds of kilometers (miles) away near Sao Paulo, addressing former colleagues in the powerful metalworkers' union he once led. "I am extremely calm, with the awareness that I have committed no crime," he told union members. The key allegation against him is that he was gifted a three-floor seaside apartment from Brazil's OAS construction group in exchange for public contracts from state-controlled oil company Petrobras during his two-term presidency. Defense lawyer Cristiano Zanin Martins had told the court it was clear OAS owned the renovated apartment, and that Lula "never got the keys and never spent a night there." But in his judgment, Gebran Neto said there was evidence "that the triplex apartment, from the beginning, even before the OAS took over the works, was reserved for President Lula." The defense had argued that no title existed in his name, but the judge said the lack of a document was intended precisely to hide the real recipient of the apartment. A second judge, Leandro Paulsen, agreed with that understanding but considered an aggravating circumstance the fact that Lula had operated as guarantor "of a scheme that emptied the coffers of Petrobras." Market up Helicopters hovered near the courthouse, and even ships were being used to protect the building, which is located next to a river. Argentine ex-footballer Diego Maradona used social media to voice his support for Lula, and released pictures of him holding a Brazil football jersey printed with Lula's name. "My dear Lula, Diego is with You," wrote Maradona in Portuguese. But Lula is also hated by many Brazilians who want to see him behind bars. Similarly, the markets were betting against a Lula run for the presidency. Sao Paolo's stock exchange soared 3.7 percent to a record high within an hour of the court confirming Lula's conviction. "Markets cannot hide their enthusiasm: a ruling against Lula, who has promised to revert part of President Michel Temer's business-friendly reforms, is widely seen as a fatal blow to his presidential bid," said Silvio Cascione in a note from the Eurasia consultancy.

Brazil's Lula loses appeal against corruption conviction

&nbsp;Former Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a top contender to win next year&#39;s presidential election, was convicted on corruption charges on Wednesday and sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison.

The ruling marked a stunning fall for Lula, one of the country&#39;s most popular politicians, and a serious blow to his chances of a political comeback. The former union leader, who won global praise for policies to reduce stinging inequality in Brazil, faces four more corruption trials and will remain free on appeal.

The verdict represented the highest-profile conviction yet in a sweeping corruption investigation that for over three years has rattled Brazil, revealing a sprawling system of graft at top levels of business and government.

Judge Sergio Moro found Lula, 71, guilty of accepting 3.7 million reais ($1.2 million) worth of bribes from engineering firm OAS SA, the amount of money prosecutors said the company spent refurbishing a beach apartment for Lula in return for his help winning contracts with state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro.

Federal prosecutors have accused Lula, Brazil&#39;s first working-class president from 2003 to 2011, of masterminding a long-running corruption scheme that was uncovered in a probe into kickbacks around Petrobras.

Lula&#39;s legal team said in an emailed statement that he was innocent and they would appeal.

&quot;For over three years, Lula has been subject to a politically motivated investigation,&quot; they wrote. &quot;No credible evidence of guilt has been produced, and overwhelming proof of his innocence blatantly ignored.&quot;

Lula&#39;s lawyer Cristiano Martins has repeatedly accused judge Moro of being biased against his client, which Moro strongly denies.

Moro wrote in his ruling that he &quot;took no personal satisfaction in this conviction, quite to the contrary.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s lamentable that a president of the republic is criminally convicted,&quot; Moro said. &quot;No matter how important you are, no one is above the law.&quot;

The Brazilian real&nbsp;extended gains following the decision and reached its strongest in two months. The benchmark Bovespa stock index rose to a session high. Investors fear that another Lula presidency would mean a return to more state-directed and less business-friendly economic policies.

&#39;Power vacuum on left&#39;

Lula would be barred from office if his guilty verdict is upheld by an appeals court, which is expected to take at least eight months to rule.

If he cannot run, political analysts say Brazil&#39;s left would be thrown into disarray, forced to rebuild and somehow find a leader who can emerge from the immense shadow that Lula has cast on Brazilian politics for three decades.

&quot;Lula&#39;s absence opens a gaping hole in the political scene, it creates an enormous power vacuum on the left,&quot; said Claudio Couto, a political scientist at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a top university. &quot;We have now entered a situation of extreme political tension, even beyond the chaos we have been living for the last year.&quot;

Couto said he expected Lula&#39;s guilty verdict to be upheld by the appeals court. That would leave the 2018 presidential race wide open and raise chances of a victory by a political outsider, given most known contenders are also ensnared in Brazil&#39;s corruption investigations.

Boom to bust

Lula&#39;s two-terms were marked by a commodity boom that momentarily made Brazil one of the world&#39;s fastest-growing economies. His ambitious foreign policies, aligning Brazil with other big developing nations, raised the country&#39;s profile on the global stage.

With Lula&#39;s swagger setting the tone, Brazil sought to shrug off northern economic and political hegemony and engage in global problems, like Middle East peace and the standoff over Iran&#39;s nuclear programme.

Former US President Barack Obama once labelled him the most popular politician on earth.

But upon leaving office and managing to get his hand-selected successor Dilma Rousseff elected, Brazil&#39;s economy soured, with the nation just now beginning to emerge from its worst recession on record.

Rousseff was impeached last year for breaking budgetary rules. She and her backers say her ouster was actually a &#39;coup&#39; orchestrated by her vice president and now President Michel Temer, who himself faces corruption charges.

During his trial, Lula gave five hours of fiery and defiant defence, proclaiming his innocence and saying that it was politics and not the pilfering of public funds that put him on trial.

&quot;But what is happening is not getting me down, just motivating me to go out and talk more,&quot; Lula said in his testimony. &quot;I will keep fighting.&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The judge found?Lula guilty of accepting 3.7 million reais ($1.2 million) worth of bribes from engineering firm OAS SA, the amount of money prosecutors said the company spent refurbishing a beach apartment for Lula in return for his help winning contracts with state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro

Former Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a top contender to win next year's presidential election, was convicted on corruption charges on Wednesday and sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison. The ruling marked a stunning fall for Lula, one of the country's most popular politicians, and a serious blow to his chances of a political comeback. The former union leader, who won global praise for policies to reduce stinging inequality in Brazil, faces four more corruption trials and will remain free on appeal. The verdict represented the highest-profile conviction yet in a sweeping corruption investigation that for over three years has rattled Brazil, revealing a sprawling system of graft at top levels of business and government. Judge Sergio Moro found Lula, 71, guilty of accepting 3.7 million reais ($1.2 million) worth of bribes from engineering firm OAS SA, the amount of money prosecutors said the company spent refurbishing a beach apartment for Lula in return for his help winning contracts with state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro. Federal prosecutors have accused Lula, Brazil's first working-class president from 2003 to 2011, of masterminding a long-running corruption scheme that was uncovered in a probe into kickbacks around Petrobras. Lula's legal team said in an emailed statement that he was innocent and they would appeal. "For over three years, Lula has been subject to a politically motivated investigation," they wrote. "No credible evidence of guilt has been produced, and overwhelming proof of his innocence blatantly ignored." Lula's lawyer Cristiano Martins has repeatedly accused judge Moro of being biased against his client, which Moro strongly denies. Moro wrote in his ruling that he "took no personal satisfaction in this conviction, quite to the contrary." "It's lamentable that a president of the republic is criminally convicted," Moro said. "No matter how important you are, no one is above the law." The Brazilian real extended gains following the decision and reached its strongest in two months. The benchmark Bovespa stock index rose to a session high. Investors fear that another Lula presidency would mean a return to more state-directed and less business-friendly economic policies. 'Power vacuum on left' Lula would be barred from office if his guilty verdict is upheld by an appeals court, which is expected to take at least eight months to rule. If he cannot run, political analysts say Brazil's left would be thrown into disarray, forced to rebuild and somehow find a leader who can emerge from the immense shadow that Lula has cast on Brazilian politics for three decades. "Lula's absence opens a gaping hole in the political scene, it creates an enormous power vacuum on the left," said Claudio Couto, a political scientist at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a top university. "We have now entered a situation of extreme political tension, even beyond the chaos we have been living for the last year." Couto said he expected Lula's guilty verdict to be upheld by the appeals court. That would leave the 2018 presidential race wide open and raise chances of a victory by a political outsider, given most known contenders are also ensnared in Brazil's corruption investigations. Boom to bust Lula's two-terms were marked by a commodity boom that momentarily made Brazil one of the world's fastest-growing economies. His ambitious foreign policies, aligning Brazil with other big developing nations, raised the country's profile on the global stage. With Lula's swagger setting the tone, Brazil sought to shrug off northern economic and political hegemony and engage in global problems, like Middle East peace and the standoff over Iran's nuclear programme. Former US President Barack Obama once labelled him the most popular politician on earth. But upon leaving office and managing to get his hand-selected successor Dilma Rousseff elected, Brazil's economy soured, with the nation just now beginning to emerge from its worst recession on record. Rousseff was impeached last year for breaking budgetary rules. She and her backers say her ouster was actually a 'coup' orchestrated by her vice president and now President Michel Temer, who himself faces corruption charges. During his trial, Lula gave five hours of fiery and defiant defence, proclaiming his innocence and saying that it was politics and not the pilfering of public funds that put him on trial. "But what is happening is not getting me down, just motivating me to go out and talk more," Lula said in his testimony. "I will keep fighting."

Ex-Brazil President Lula convicted on graft charges, sentenced to nearly 10 years in jail

It seems Brazilian politics just can&#39;t catch a break as President Michel Temer becomes embroiled in a corruption scandal of his own. There have even been calls to impeach the President and you can read more details in our story <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-president-temer-put-under-investigation-refuses-to-quit-15768">here</a>. These corruption allegations are only the latest to hit people at the very top of Brazilian politics, if we look at the tenures of the previous two presidents, Luiz Inacio da Silva and Dilma Rousseff.

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The tenure of Dilma Rousseff was overshadowed by the Petrobras scandal (AFP)
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The presidency of Dilma Rousseff, in power from 2011 to 2016, was plagued by allegations of corruption involving the state oil company Petrobras scandal. Before she became president, Rousseff was chairman of Petrobras, and while she denies any knowledge of what happened, money from corporations who signed contracts with Petrobras <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/6e8b0e28-f728-11e5-803c-d27c7117d132">was skimmed</a> by Petrobras executives, lobbyists and politicians belonging to Rousseff&#39;s leftist Worker&#39;s Party.

The embezzlement amounted to billions of dollars, billions that ended up getting accumulated in Swiss bank accounts and was possibly used to fund election campaigns of the ruling Worker&#39;s party. Rousseff, eventually did get impeached herself, though not over these corruption allegations, but for <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36028117">breaking fiscal laws</a> when her government moved funds between official programmes to hide a budget deficit.

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Former president Lula Da Silva is currently facing trial over corruption charges (AFP)
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Before Rousseff, Luiz Inacio da Silva or Lula, who was president from 2003 to 2011, was involved in the Petrobras scandal himself and is <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/brazils-lula-calls-corruption-trial-a-farce/article18426729.ece">currently facing trial</a> for it. He is alleged to have received a seaside apartment near Sao Paulo from the Brazilian construction company OAS, one of the main contractors for Petrobras. Rousseff had <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/17/release-tapped-phone-calls-lula-rousseff-deepens-brazil-chaos">even appointed</a> Lula as a cabinet minister in order to give him legal immunity from prosecution during the Petrobras scandal, but that was later <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/17/americas/brazil-rousseff-lula-tapes/">blocked by a judge</a>.

Even during his first term, Lula was hit by a <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Politics/xr0PkZA03RTN6yRCM7XC0J/Brazil-to-investigate-expresident-Lula-in-votebuying-scand.html">vote-buying scandal</a>, in which money from Marcos Valeiro, an advertising executive with several government contracts, was allegedly channelled to bribe lawmakers to vote in favour of government bills. Some of the money from Valeiro was also alleged to have been used to fund Lula&#39;s own election campaigns.

Sadly, Lula has emerged as the <a href="https://www.cfr.org/blog-post/will-2018-bring-mandate-change-brazil">frontrunner in opinion polls</a> to become president in the 2018 elections. (Though a conviction in his trial would bar him from competing.) To expect him to be the man who cleans up Brazilian politics would be a fantasy.

The scandal involving Michel Temer continues the sorry saga of presidential misdeeds in Brazil

It seems Brazilian politics just can't catch a break as President Michel Temer becomes embroiled in a corruption scandal of his own. There have even been calls to impeach the President and you can read more details in our story here. These corruption allegations are only the latest to hit people at the very top of Brazilian politics, if we look at the tenures of the previous two presidents, Luiz Inacio da Silva and Dilma Rousseff. The tenure of Dilma Rousseff was overshadowed by the Petrobras scandal (AFP) × The presidency of Dilma Rousseff, in power from 2011 to 2016, was plagued by allegations of corruption involving the state oil company Petrobras scandal. Before she became president, Rousseff was chairman of Petrobras, and while she denies any knowledge of what happened, money from corporations who signed contracts with Petrobras was skimmed by Petrobras executives, lobbyists and politicians belonging to Rousseff's leftist Worker's Party. The embezzlement amounted to billions of dollars, billions that ended up getting accumulated in Swiss bank accounts and was possibly used to fund election campaigns of the ruling Worker's party. Rousseff, eventually did get impeached herself, though not over these corruption allegations, but for breaking fiscal laws when her government moved funds between official programmes to hide a budget deficit. Former president Lula Da Silva is currently facing trial over corruption charges (AFP) × Before Rousseff, Luiz Inacio da Silva or Lula, who was president from 2003 to 2011, was involved in the Petrobras scandal himself and is currently facing trial for it. He is alleged to have received a seaside apartment near Sao Paulo from the Brazilian construction company OAS, one of the main contractors for Petrobras. Rousseff had even appointed Lula as a cabinet minister in order to give him legal immunity from prosecution during the Petrobras scandal, but that was later blocked by a judge. Even during his first term, Lula was hit by a vote-buying scandal, in which money from Marcos Valeiro, an advertising executive with several government contracts, was allegedly channelled to bribe lawmakers to vote in favour of government bills. Some of the money from Valeiro was also alleged to have been used to fund Lula's own election campaigns. Sadly, Lula has emerged as the frontrunner in opinion polls to become president in the 2018 elections. (Though a conviction in his trial would bar him from competing.) To expect him to be the man who cleans up Brazilian politics would be a fantasy.

Brazil's love affair with corruption continues

Brazil&#39;s Federal Police asked prosecutors to charge former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for more crimes in the country&#39;s widest-ever corruption probe, Globo&#39;s G1 news site reported on Monday.

Lula, president from 2003 to 2010 and a possible candidate in the 2018 election, is already a defendant in three criminal probes linked to the so-called Car Wash investigation into large-scale corruption at state-controlled oil company Petrobras.

According to the Federal Police, he should also be charged for corruption in the acquisition of land for his foundation and the rental of an apartment in the same building where he lives. The Federal Police alleges these expenses were paid by Brazilian engineering firm Odebrecht SA, G1 said.

The former president&#39;s spokesmen told G1 that Lula had been paying rent on the apartment for years and that his foundation does not own the land on which its headquarters were built. Odebrecht said it is collaborating with Justice and declined to comment further.

Neither the Federal Police nor Lula&#39;s spokesmen were immediately available to comment on the report.

The Odebrecht family and top executives have signed plea bargains with Brazilian prosecutors in which as many as 77 of the engineering group&#39;s executives are testifying about widespread political graft. The family has apologized for its involvement in Brazil&#39;s massive corruption scandal.

(Reuters)

Former President Lula is already a defendant in three criminal probes linked to the so-called Car Wash investigation

Brazil's Federal Police asked prosecutors to charge former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for more crimes in the country's widest-ever corruption probe, Globo's G1 news site reported on Monday. Lula, president from 2003 to 2010 and a possible candidate in the 2018 election, is already a defendant in three criminal probes linked to the so-called Car Wash investigation into large-scale corruption at state-controlled oil company Petrobras. According to the Federal Police, he should also be charged for corruption in the acquisition of land for his foundation and the rental of an apartment in the same building where he lives. The Federal Police alleges these expenses were paid by Brazilian engineering firm Odebrecht SA, G1 said. The former president's spokesmen told G1 that Lula had been paying rent on the apartment for years and that his foundation does not own the land on which its headquarters were built. Odebrecht said it is collaborating with Justice and declined to comment further. Neither the Federal Police nor Lula's spokesmen were immediately available to comment on the report. The Odebrecht family and top executives have signed plea bargains with Brazilian prosecutors in which as many as 77 of the engineering group's executives are testifying about widespread political graft. The family has apologized for its involvement in Brazil's massive corruption scandal. (Reuters)

Brazil Federal Police ask prosecutors to charge Lula for more crimes: Media

Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was key in getting the Olympics to Rio, will be put on trial for allegedly trying to obstruct a corruption probe at Petrobras oil company, officials said yesterday. 
 
&quot;The charge is obstruction of justice&quot; linked to the Petrobras embezzlement probe, named Operation Car Wash, a spokesman for the justice ministry told AFP. 
 
Lula was formally charged along with six others, including former senator Delcidio do Amaral, a once-important ally in Lula&#39;s leftist Workers&#39; Party who is accused of Petrobras-related corruption and has turned state&#39;s witness. 
 
Lula, as he is universally known in Brazil, was president from 2003-2010 and left office with massive popularity thanks to social programs that lifted tens of millions of Brazilians from poverty. 
 
He also was key in the 2009 winning bid by Rio de Janeiro to host South America&#39;s first Olympics, which start next Friday. 
 
However, his legacy has been badly tainted by the emergence of the Petrobras scandal in which dozens of politicians and executives are accused of having embezzled from the huge state oil company in a web of inflated contracts, kickbacks and bribes that lasted much of his presidency. 
 
Lula is alleged to have been at the centre of the scheme. However, the charges on which he will stand trial are limited to allegedly attempting to obstruct the enquiry. 
 
Prosecutors have been told by Delcidio in his plea bargain that Lula had asked him to assist a Petrobras director charged in the corruption scheme. 
 
Lula accuses Delcidio of fabricating his testimony to attempt to save himself from a serious sentence in his own case. 
 
Lula&#39;s spokesman issued a statement saying the charges were flimsy because they &quot;are based uniquely on (evidence from) a plea bargain.&quot; 
 
&quot;Lula has never opposed the investigations,&quot; the statement said. 
 
Olympics president 
 
The development comes a week before the opening of the Olympics and will reignite a simmering political crisis that has upended the Workers&#39; Party dominance of Brazil over the last 13 years. 
 
Lula&#39;s handpicked successor Dilma Rousseff faces an impeachment trial set to culminate days after the Olympics end. 
 
If the Senate votes to impeach by a two thirds majority, Rousseff will be removed from office and her bitter political enemy Michel Temer, who is currently serving as interim president, will take over. 
 
Rousseff is accused of breaking government budgeting rules, but has denounced the impeachment process as a coup in disguise aimed at putting Temer&#39;s center-right administration in power and destroying the Workers&#39; Party. 
 
Both Lula and Rousseff have declared they will boycott the Olympics opening ceremony, where Temer is to preside and declare the Games open. 
 
In an interview yesterday with foreign news organizations, including AFP, Temer said he expected Rousseff to be removed by the Senate in time for Brazil to know whom to send to the G20 summit in China at the start of September. 
 
&quot;We are hoping that the resolution of the impeachment comes between August 25 and 26, because if it takes to September 4, 5 or 6, Brazil will not be able to go to the G20,&quot; Temer said. 
 
Temer said he was already &quot;acting as if I will stay on&quot; and that &quot;the world needs to know who is the president.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Lula is alleged to have been at the centre of a scandal accusing politicians and executives of embezzling from oil company Petrobras

Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was key in getting the Olympics to Rio, will be put on trial for allegedly trying to obstruct a corruption probe at Petrobras oil company, officials said yesterday. "The charge is obstruction of justice" linked to the Petrobras embezzlement probe, named Operation Car Wash, a spokesman for the justice ministry told AFP. Lula was formally charged along with six others, including former senator Delcidio do Amaral, a once-important ally in Lula's leftist Workers' Party who is accused of Petrobras-related corruption and has turned state's witness. Lula, as he is universally known in Brazil, was president from 2003-2010 and left office with massive popularity thanks to social programs that lifted tens of millions of Brazilians from poverty. He also was key in the 2009 winning bid by Rio de Janeiro to host South America's first Olympics, which start next Friday. However, his legacy has been badly tainted by the emergence of the Petrobras scandal in which dozens of politicians and executives are accused of having embezzled from the huge state oil company in a web of inflated contracts, kickbacks and bribes that lasted much of his presidency. Lula is alleged to have been at the centre of the scheme. However, the charges on which he will stand trial are limited to allegedly attempting to obstruct the enquiry. Prosecutors have been told by Delcidio in his plea bargain that Lula had asked him to assist a Petrobras director charged in the corruption scheme. Lula accuses Delcidio of fabricating his testimony to attempt to save himself from a serious sentence in his own case. Lula's spokesman issued a statement saying the charges were flimsy because they "are based uniquely on (evidence from) a plea bargain." "Lula has never opposed the investigations," the statement said. Olympics president The development comes a week before the opening of the Olympics and will reignite a simmering political crisis that has upended the Workers' Party dominance of Brazil over the last 13 years. Lula's handpicked successor Dilma Rousseff faces an impeachment trial set to culminate days after the Olympics end. If the Senate votes to impeach by a two thirds majority, Rousseff will be removed from office and her bitter political enemy Michel Temer, who is currently serving as interim president, will take over. Rousseff is accused of breaking government budgeting rules, but has denounced the impeachment process as a coup in disguise aimed at putting Temer's center-right administration in power and destroying the Workers' Party. Both Lula and Rousseff have declared they will boycott the Olympics opening ceremony, where Temer is to preside and declare the Games open. In an interview yesterday with foreign news organizations, including AFP, Temer said he expected Rousseff to be removed by the Senate in time for Brazil to know whom to send to the G20 summit in China at the start of September. "We are hoping that the resolution of the impeachment comes between August 25 and 26, because if it takes to September 4, 5 or 6, Brazil will not be able to go to the G20," Temer said. Temer said he was already "acting as if I will stay on" and that "the world needs to know who is the president." (AFP)

Former Brazilian president to stand trial for obstruction of justice

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