Former Brazil president Lula arrested as police ratchet up corruption inquiry

Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was being questioned by police in Brazil on Friday after they raided his home. His arrest was one of the most dramatic developments to date in the sprawling Car Wash investigation into corruption at the oil giant Petrobras. The much-loved former leader was speaking to investigators at the federal police station at Sao Paulo’s Congonhas airport. Meanwhile, officers were searching his home in Sao Bernardo do Campo and the Instituto Lula, his non-profit organization.

There is evidence that the crimes enriched him and financed electoral campaigns and the treasury of his political group.

Police statement

Silva, a plain-spoken former union leader known simply as Lula, was among the most revered leaders in Brazilian history when he left office in 2010, leaving the post in the hands of his chosen successor, Dilma Rousseff. But the 70-year-old is now embroiled in a corruption case involving billions of dollars, bribery and several leading politicians. Silva’s Workers’ Party reacted angrily, saying in a Twitter post, “we all must react now,” with a hashtag reading “LulaPoliticalPrisoner." In a statement, police said they were carrying out 44 judicial orders as part of the broader Petrobras inquiry.

Lula never participated, directly or indirectly, in any illegal act during or after his government

Former president’s spokesman

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