Ex-president accused of influence peddling

Brazilian prosecutors on Monday accused former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of influence peddling, compounding the woes of a fallen political giant already charged in the Petrobras scandal. The new charges allege that after leaving office in 2010 and until 2015, Lula helped the construction company Odebrecht win contracts in Angola. Lula intervened with […]

Brazilian prosecutors on Monday accused former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of influence peddling, compounding the woes of a fallen political giant already charged in the Petrobras scandal.
The new charges allege that after leaving office in 2010 and until 2015, Lula helped the construction company Odebrecht win contracts in Angola.
Lula intervened with a government bank called BNDES so it would provide financing for Odebrecht projects in the southern African country, prosecutors said.
In return, Lula and 10 other suspects charged Monday in this case received Odebrecht shares that are currently worth a total of more than $9.3 million, the prosecutors’ office said.
Those 10 people include Marcelo Odebrecht, former chairman of the company that bears his name – it has also been linked to the Petrobras case – and Taiguara Rodrigues dos Santos, a nephew of Lula.