Former Brazil President Lula charged with being leader of Petrobras corruption scheme

Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – widely known as Lula – was accused by a federal prosecutor on Wednesday with being the main organizer of the huge Petrobras graft scheme that has crippled the state oil firm, shamed the political class and brought international embarrassment on the nation.

The scheme essentially involved Petrobras officials taking bribes from contractors in return for inflated contracts which cost the company billions of dollars. And a raft of politicians, mostly from Lula’s Workers Party received kickbacks for looking away or facilitating the corruption.

Charges of bribery and money laundering were laid against Lula, his wife, Marisa Leticia, and seven other people.

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