Brazil judge targets politicians over involvement in bribery scandal

PanARMENIAN.Net - A Brazilian judge has revealed the names of dozens of politicians to be investigated over alleged involvement in a huge bribery scandal, according to BBC News.

Judge Edson Fachin unveiled his extensive list on Tuesday, April 11 after much speculation in the country's media.

It includes almost a third of President Michel Temer's cabinet and Rio de Janeiro's mayor during the Olympics.

The names were given by corrupt former officials from Brazil-based construction giant Odebrecht. The firm has admitted paying $1bn in bribes.

The list has been long awaited, and was delayed when the former judge attached to case died in a plane crash in January.

Judge Fachin's list names a total of eight ministers, including Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes and the president's chief of staff, plus scores of other members of Congress.

Its release is part of a major probe known as Operation Car Wash, which was launched three years ago amid escalating public discontent over political corruption.

The investigation centres on companies that were offered deals with state oil company Petrobras in exchange for bribes, which were funnelled into politicians' pockets and political-party slush funds.

Odebrecht, Latin America's largest construction conglomerate, is one of those companies, and 77 of its executives have entered into plea deals, agreeing to provide information in exchange for more lenient sentences.

The names on Judge Fachin's list have come to light as part of that plea bargain.

The executives say they paid so many bribes that they set up a special department to manage the money.

Although the list spans all major parties, the revelations strike a particular blow to President Temer, who came to power after the previous president was impeached for illegally manipulating government accounts.