Former President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff and other staff part of their Workers’ Party have been accused of forming a criminal organization.

Charges were filed on Tuesday as part of an investigation into a scheme to inflate state contracts to pay kickbacks and bribes to politicians. The corruption probe has netted dozens of executives and senior politicians.

An accusation against Rousseff includes:

• Suspicion of breaking budgetary rules by shifting money around to cover short-term deficits, ultimately landing her on an impeachment trial

Some accusations against Luiz include:

• Multi-billion dollar bribery scheme revolving around the state-run oil company, Petrobras
• Obstruction charges on suspicion that he tried to pay a former Petrobras executive to stop him from giving information to authorities

Silva, his successor and allies are accused of orchestrating the receipt of around $480 million in bribes.

Silva alone faces several charges and has already been sentenced to 9 ½ years in another case, which he is appealing.

For more information see: LA Times

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By: Nicolas Di Nardo

“This article is intended to inform and entertain. Its content does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon by readers as such. If you require legal assistance, please see a lawyer. Each case is unique and a lawyer with good training and sound judgment can provide you with advice tailored to your specific situation and needs.”