Prosecutor Wants Probe Into Rousseff’s Attempt to Impede Corruption Inquiry

Brazilian Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot requested the country’s Supreme Court to open a probe into President Dilma Rousseff's alleged attempts to obstruct a corruption investigation around the state-owned Petrobras oil company, G1 news portal reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Similar inquires have been sent Tuesday regarding the country’s former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Attorney General of the Union Jose Eduardo Cardozo.

The request will be reportedly considered confidentially as it is based on recordings of private telephone conversation between Rousseff and Lula.

Rousseff has been facing a wave of public discontent for over a year amid Brazil’s struggling economy and a major corruption scandal in the Petrobras petroleum firm. The opposition has accused the president of corruption and of violating financial rules by manipulating state bank accounts to close budget gaps.

On April 17, two-thirds of Brazil's lower house lawmakers voted in favor of impeaching Rousseff, sending the vote to the Federal Senate.