Brazil corruption probe targets nine ministers
Brazil's top court has given the green light to corruption probes against nine government ministers, among dozens of other politicians, in a dramatic ramping up of a graft investigation rocking the country, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
The respected Estadao newspaper reported on its website that it had obtained exclusive access to the full list of politicians who have been targeted by Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot.
The Supreme Court, which handles all cases involving sitting politicians, has now authorized the probes, which are related to the massive "Car Wash" scandal at state oil company Petrobras, according to the report.
The 108 names included nine ministers in President Michel Temer's government, three state governors, 29 senators and 42 members of the lower house of Congress. Among the lawmakers were the speakers of the upper and lower houses.
Spokesmen for the Supreme Court and prosecutor general's office declined to comment on the report when contacted by AFP.
Janot sent a confidential request in March to the Supreme Court to open the probes.
The complaints against the politicians expanded the so-called Car Wash probe, which has uncovered massive embezzlement and bribery based on Petrobras.
The accusations in Janot's list are based on a deluge of testimony given in connection with plea bargains struck with 77 former executives of the giant Odebrecht construction firm, which was at the heart of the Petrobras scheme.
The former Odebrecht employees, including ex-CEO Marcelo Odebrecht, have confessed to systemic bribery of politicians in exchange for inflated contracts with Petrobras and favorable legislation in Congress. The money went either directly into politicians' pockets or into party campaign slush funds.
- Temer government under fire -
Speculation has been mounting over possible damage to Temer's center-right government. Temer, trying to push through austerity reforms as Brazil enters its third year of recession, is deeply unpopular.
Several ministers have already had to resign due to involvement in the Car Wash scandal since Temer took power last year.
The Supreme Court would only be authorizing investigations and Temer has already said that he will not sack any minister who had not been formally charged with a crime.
According to Estadao, the ministers on the list include Temer's influential chief of staff Eliseu Padilha, newly appointed Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes, and Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi.
The probe is a big blow to Temer's ruling PMDB party, with its senior senator Romero Juca, among those on the list.
But also targeted, according to the report, is Aecio Neves, who heads the centrist PSDB party and narrowly lost Brazil's last presidential election.
The huge scandal has already claimed a host of big politicians and business figures.
Former leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from the Workers' Party and his successor Dilma Rousseff, who was removed from power last year after being impeached, both face Car Wash probes. But since they are no longer elected officials they are dealt with by lower courts.