More bad news for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and the ruling Workers’ Party, as authorities arrested a powerful political chieftain early Monday morning. José Dirceu, former chief of staff to ex-president Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, was arrested in connection with the Petrobras corruption scandal rocking the South American country.
In a press conference today, Federal police investigator Carlos Fernando dos Santos Lima said Dirceu played a key role “in the Petrobras scheme even as he was chief of staff (from 2003 to 2005).” Dirceu’s arrest gives credence to accusations that the corruption scheme was managed by people at the highest levels of the Workers’ Party.
The prosecutor claimed that Dirceu and his associates received a monthly payment of 200,000 reais ($58,000) from Petrobras, although it is unclear how much of that amount Dirceu received personally. The prosecutor also asserts that Dirceu is responsible for recruiting two former Petrobras executives into the kickback scheme, including Paulo Roberto Costa, who already has been convicted for his involvement. Dirceu was already under house arrest for his role in a 2012 corruption scandal, in which he used public funds to bribe opposition parties in order to gain their support in Brazil’s Congress.
Rousseff is fending off public calls for her resignation. Recent polls show that those favoring Rousseff’s impeachment have risen from to 62% from 59% four months ago, while 84% believe her administration is unable to resolve the ongoing economic crisis.
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