SAO PAULO – Brazil's top prosecutor is accusing former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former President Dilma Rousseff and several other senior members of their Workers' Party of forming a criminal organization.
Attorney General Rodrigo Janot filed the charges late Tuesday with the Supreme Federal Tribunal.
The charges are part of a huge investigation into a scheme to inflate state contracts in order to pay kickbacks and bribes to politicians. The corruption probe has already netted dozens of executives and senior politicians.
Silva alone is facing several charges and has already been sentenced to 9½ years in prison in one case. He is appealing.
The indictment accuses Silva, his successor Rousseff and several allies of orchestrating the receipt of around $480 million in bribes through their control of state organs.
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