• 3 minutes e-car sales collapse
  • 6 minutes America Is Exceptional in Its Political Divide
  • 11 minutes Perovskites, a ‘dirt cheap’ alternative to silicon, just got a lot more efficient
  • 3 hours GREEN NEW DEAL = BLIZZARD OF LIES
  • 2 hours Renewables are expensive
  • 2 days Hydrogen balloon still deflating
  • 5 days Bad news for e-cars keeps coming
  • 8 days More bad news for renewables and hydrogen
  • 1 day How Far Have We Really Gotten With Alternative Energy
  • 2 days EV future has been postponed
  • 4 days The (Necessarily Incomplete, Inarguably Ridiculous) List of Things "Caused by Climate Change" - By James Corbett of The CorbettReport.com
  • 37 days Green Energy's dirty secrets
  • 40 days Solid State Lithium Battery Bank

Breaking News:

BP To Sell Its Onshore Wind Business

Europe's LNG Ambitions Face Reality Check

Europe's LNG Ambitions Face Reality Check

Europe's LNG import capacity may…

Former Brazilian Chief of Staff Gets 23 Years in Prison for Corruption

A Brazilian court has sentenced former presidential chief of staff Jose Dirceu to 23 years in prison for corruption, money-laundering and conspiracy related to the state-run Petrobras oil scandal.

Dirceu served under ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva between 2003 and 2005. He is the most senior Workers’ Party member to be tried and sentenced in this scandal.

In March, former President Lula da Silva was questioned by police and his house raided as part of the fraud inquiry.

Related: Oil-for-Drugs Swap: India’s Answer to Venezuela’s Unpaid Bills

Dirceu was previously sentenced in 2012 by the Supreme Court to over 10 years in prison for running a congressional vote-buying operation.

Prosecutors alleged that Dirceu was mastermind behind the Petrobras kickback scheme and that he took bribes while in office and even from behind bars.

“Not even a conviction by the country’s highest court could inhibit criminal relapse,” federal judge Sérgio Moro wrote in his sentencing decision, noting that Dirceu had been taking part in the bribery scheme even after he was convicted for vote-buying.

Related: Oil Prices Take A Step Back As Dollar Appreciates

One of the key facets of the corruption scandal was the collusion between Petrobras and a small group of companies to overcharge for services in the energy sector. Petrobras officials received bribes and shared kickbacks with politicians, many of them in the ruling Workers’ Party. Estimates put the total bribes at close to US$3 billion.

So far, dozens of high level executives and government officials have been investigated and sentenced for their role in the affair.

ADVERTISEMENT

Last week, the scandal Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was suspended from office following a senate vote to initiate her impeachment trial on corruption allegations that lead back to the Petrobras scandal. The speakers of both country’s houses of Congress are included in the probe.

By James Burgess of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:



Join the discussion | Back to homepage



Leave a comment

Leave a comment

EXXON Mobil -0.35
Open57.81 Trading Vol.6.96M Previous Vol.241.7B
BUY 57.15
Sell 57.00
Oilprice - The No. 1 Source for Oil & Energy News