The Brazilian Federal Police launched an anti-corruption operation that has among its objectives the governor of the Brazilian state of Alagoas (northeast), Paulo Dantas, candidate for re-election in the October 30 elections and supported by former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2011).
According to Federal Police sources cited by media such as CNN Brasil, the investigation points to crimes of “criminal organization, embezzlement and money laundering,” and the Superior Court of Justice requested that the governor be removed from office for the alleged corrupt scheme discovered in the Legislative Assembly of the state.
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The precautionary measures imposed by the Prosecutor’s Office so far include the seizure of goods and values that reach R$54 million (US$10.3 million).
In the first round of the Brazilian elections, held on October 2, Dantas, who belongs to the Democratic Movement of Brazil (MDB, center) obtained 46.4% of the votes in the state of Alagoas.
He will be measured in the ballot on the 30th against the candidate Rodrigo Cunha, from União Brasil (center-right), who obtained 26.79% of the votes.
Dantas had the support of Lula, of the Workers’ Party (PT), which has an alliance with the MDB mainly in the northeastern region of the country, its main electoral stronghold.
With information from Sputnik