Weekly Report - 04 August 2016 (WR-16-30)

On 29 July Federal Judge Ricardo Augusto Soares Leite ruled that former president Lula da Silva (2003-2011) should face charges for obstruction of justice, on the grounds that he sought to interfere in the massive federal investigation into corruption at the state-run oil firm, Petrobras, which since its launch two years ago has spread like wildfire to implicate several other of Brazil’s major companies; and most of the country’s main political parties. The investigation has turned up an apparently entrenched practice of bribery and political kickbacks at some of Brazil’s biggest firms.