Former Brazilian Presdent Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva has had his share of run-ins with law enforcement and it seems as if its not stopping anytime soon. It is being reported that the former leader is facing corruption charges for the record fifth time stemming from politics.
According to FOX News Latino, a federal judge in Brazil on Monday accepted new corruption charges against former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who had already been indicted in four other graft cases. Accepted by federal Judge Sergio Moro, Lula's wife, Marisa Leticia Lula da Silva; former Finance Minister Antonio Palocci; and Robert Teixeira, one of Lula's defense attorneys; are co-defendants.
In this case, prosecutors accused Lula de Silva of receiving bribes in exchange for helping Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht secure contracts with state oil company Petrobras. He has been accused of being the lead orchestrator of the sprawling Petrobras corruption scheme, which is estimated to have cost the company as much as $2 billion.
The site reports some of the alleged bribes were used to acquire land for the headquarters of the former head of state's institute and an apartment near his private residence in the city of Sao Bernardo do Campo.
Prosecutors believe that the real estate was acquired by third parties using bribe money that Odebrecht paid Lula in exchange for his intervention to help the company secure lucrative contracts with Petrobras.
Investigators reveal that his company and other major Brazilian construction groups formed a cartel to overcharge the oil giant, splitting the extra money with corrupt Petrobras officials while setting aside some of the loot to pay off politicians who provided cover for the graft.
In the past indictment charges, Moro also accepted charges against Marcelo Odebrecht, the now-imprisoned former CEO of that major construction company who, along with nearly 80 former directors and staff at the firm, has reached a plea deal with investigators. Odebrecht was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
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