Investigators in Petrobras corruption scandal vowed to continue search for more evidence in the scandal at the state-owned oil company. The investigation has also paired with president Dilma Roussef's impeachment.
Petrobras scandal has been revealing some shocking evidences and brought the entire country to unite against corruption. As more facts are revealed, some people worry that the historic investigation uncovering huge graft scandals could be quietly suppressed during the Senate vote on president Rouseff's impeachment next month. However, prosecutors have vowed to continue the investigation.
"Federal prosecutors and our own task force will fight ferociously for this investigation to continue to the end," said lead prosecutor Carlos Lima, according to Reuters. "We will not remain silent in the face of any attempts to strip us of this investigation."
Brazilian Federal Police in 2014 launched an investigation on alleged money laundering in the state-owned oil company Petrobras. The investigation which began as a small illegal money transfer, escalated into corruption and kickbacks case involving politicians. The investigation was nicknamed Operation Car Wash or Operação Lava Jato in Portuguese.
President Dilma Roussef, who was praised by Hillary Clinton in her effort in combating corruption was a board member of director at Petrobras from 2003 to 2010. Although she had denied having knowledge of the corruption and kickbacks, public outrage asked her to step down.
According to Daily Mail, some of the money paid as kickback ended up in president's allies and high-profile members of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), a part of the ruling coalition. Although president Rousseff was not linked to either payment of the kickbacks and the bribery case, public support to her government had diminished. Particulary, as investigators accused members of Ms. Rousseff's left-wing, Workers Party, being involved in the bribery case.
The investigation has expanded, naming around 50 politicians and a small number of business leaders. Unlike other politicians, president Dilma Rousseff is not linked in bribery and corruption scandal, but she is a weak and an unpopular president, as New York Times described.
In her first term, Brazil economy has stagnated due to economic mismanagement and the plunge of global commodity prices. Afterward, president Rousseff was forced to cut spending and implementing austerity measures which making her an easy target for public anger.
Impeachment process was made by lower house of congress on December 2, 2015. The charges against her are administrative misconduct, cutting off the federal budget, and involvement in the Petrobras scandal. This Sunday, as the lower house approved the impeachment processs against president Rousseff, the Senate will vote next month to confirm her impeachment.
Investigator in Brazilian Petrobras corruption and bribery case pleged to continue uncovering the scandal at the state-owned oil company. However, the investigation was threatened by impeachment of president Dilma Roussef.
