Brazil's ex-president Lula detained in anti-graft bust

[Bacchus4.0]

Source: Reuters


Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was detained for questioning on Friday in a federal investigation of a bribery and money laundering scheme that police said had financed campaigns and expenses of the ruling Workers Party.

His detention was the highest profile arrest in a sweeping corruption investigation that has ensnared powerful lawmakers and business executives in Latin America's biggest economy.

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Police, who arrested Lula at his home in Sao Bernardo do Campo on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, said they had evidence that he received illicit benefits from kickbacks at state oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA in the form of payments and luxury real estate.

The evidence against Lula brought the corruption investigation closer to his protegee and successor, President Dilma Rousseff, who is fighting off impeachment over an unrelated issue and who is struggling to pull the country out of its worst economic downturn in decades.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-corruption-lula-idUSKCN0W60Z6

[Recursion]

1. Lula? Damn.

The most successful politician of the past half-century. That's a shame.

[monicaangela]

2. Really sorry to hear this

I have been a fan of President da Silva for a long time. I suppose we never know who might be involved in bribery, money laundering etc., not that it has been proven he was, but around the world there is so much money being spent to try to control governments it just isn't funny.

One thing I can say about this is Brazil seems to be leading the way in holding people accountable. This country should take notice of this and follow suit. We still have a lot of criminals running free, from the highest government positions to Wall Street and beyond.

[Zorro]

3. It's obviously a nefarious CIA-led plot

Right?

[OBenario]

15. Nope, it's even worse.

Fake news. Lula wasn't detained.

[Blue_Tires]

4. Ugh....

Things are going to get worse before they get better...

[Angel Martin]

5. a "socialist man of the people" corrupt ?

i wonder what tipped them off...?

?w=1180

[iandhr]

6. That does look a wee bit suspicious.

[dembotoz]

7. maybe it was a fixer upper

[harun]

8. What makes you think that is his house?

[Angel Martin]

9. that estate is owned

by Lula's son, who has also been under investigation in the same ($37 billion !) Petrobras bribery scandal.

http://zoevaldes.net/2014/08/27/asi-vive-fabio-el-companero-fabio-luis-lula-da-silva-hijo-del-ex-presidente-de-brasil/

[Marksman_91]

10. NO! Say it ain't so!

There's NO WAY that a leftist politician could be corrupt. ABSOLUTELY NONE!

[harun]

11. Why so sarcastic?

He hasn't been convicted and he did great for the people of Brazil.

Why buy in to the Capitalist propaganda that all left leaning politicians who try and make the lives of their constituents better are all secretly morally corrupt and compensating for it?

This is a left leaning web forum you know?

http://www.newsweek.com/brazils-lula-most-popular-politician-earth-79355

[Marksman_91]

12. I'm not saying that at all. You're trying to put words in my mouth.

The point of my comment is that you and many others in this forum seem to have this notion that all the leftist leaders of Latin America are somehow incorruptible and continue to think that all of their countries' problems are caused by some kind of US-led conspiracy or whatever and not their own corruption and/or incompetence. Lula may have helped Brazil improve, but that does not mean he should be given a free pass, and if there's proof that he and his family siphoned themselves millions through shady means, not only does that make them hypocrites, they should suffer the consequences for it as well. So far the only leftist politician who seems to have lived as humbly as he claims and still did good for his country is Pepe Mujica. I only wish the rest of the leftist leaders of the region, especially those in Venezuela, were even half as honest and humble as he was.

[OBenario]

17. Bullshit.

If you lived in Uruguay under Mujica you'd say the same things about him that you say about all the other Latin American progressists.

[Marksman_91]

18. No, I wouldn't n/t

[OBenario]

14. Nope.

This is the building of the São Paulo University - Superior School of Agriculture.

Google: ESALQ / USP




https://www.google.com.br/search?q=ESALQ&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiErdPwmozMAhXBlZAKHQ91DUoQ_AUICCgC&biw=1600&bih=775

This is the middle class building where is the apartment where Lula has always lived:

[OBenario]

16. It isn't.

This building is an agricultural college named ESALQ (Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queirós, or Luiz de Queiróz Superior Schoolf of Agriculture) located in the city of Piracicaba, state of São Paulo. It belongs to a public university named University of São Paulo (USP).

This is a institutional video of the college showing the building:

[Angel Martin]

19. I don't read portuguese

i have to take what google translate spit out at face value

my apologies to the da Silvas

[harun]

20. Thanks for shedding some light on the truth!

Much appreciated.

[OBenario]

13. Fake news.

Lula has never been arrested.