Former presidents obstruct corruption probe: Brazilian police

Brazil's federal police submitted to the Supreme Court (STF) a report that shows how former presidents Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva and Dilma Rousseff had obstructed the anti-corruption Operation Lava Jato.

The Operation Lava Jato, which unveiled the gigantic corruption ring within state oil company Petrobras, was investigating the former presidents for crimes of influence trafficking.

Marlon Cajado, author of the report, submitted on Monday, recommended that both former presidents and former education minister, Aloizio Mercadante, be charged, Xinhua news agency reported.

For Rousseff, the charge relates to her appointment of Lula in March 2016 as her government's chief of staff, a position granting him immunity from all investigations except by the Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) or Supreme Court.

The police report comes the same week that the STF is to sign off on the nomination of of Moreira Franco as secretary-general of the presidency, a position that provides the same protection from investigation.

However, Franco has been mentioned 43 times by people already arrested within Operation Lava Jato as having benefited from corruption.

Lula's defense team has stated there is no legal basis for the accusations and that Cajado had used "political communications media" to further the case and that Lula was a victim of political persecution by public officials.

--IANS

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