Brazil: Ex-president Lula charged in corruption probe

Prosecutors in Brazil have filed charges against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, his wife and six others over a corruption scandal involving the state-run oil giant Petrobras.

Deltan Dallagnol, a public prosecutor, said on Wednesday that Lula was the "general" in command of the Petrobras corruption scheme that caused an estimated $12.6bn in losses.

Lula's lawyers said in a statement that he strongly denied the allegations and would fight the charges.

He could face arrest for allegedly receiving a luxury apartment on the coast of Sao Paulo from one of the engineering and construction firms at the centre of the bribery scandal.

Lula has denied ownership of the three-floor condo in the city of Guaruja.

Federal police urged prosecutors last month to bring charges against Lula and his wife, accusing them of receiving more than $700,000 in benefits from the builder OAS in relation to the apartment.
 aljazeera.com
14/9/16