In Brazil, former Chief of Staff José Dirceu sentenced to 23 years in prison

Federal Judge Sérgio Moro, in charge of Operation Car Wash, sentenced former Chief of Staff José Dirceu to 23 years and three months in prison for the crimes of corruption, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy. Dirceu is to serve his sentence first in closed prison. Former minister of Lula's government, José Dirceu, can appeal against the conviction. He is in preventive detention since August last year.

Last month, the Public Prosecution Office (MPF) requested Paraná Federal Court to sentence former Minister José Dirceu, former treasurer of the Workers' Party (PT) João Vaccari Neto, and 13 other defendants cited in the action criminal brought by the 17th stage of Operation Car Wash, dubbed "Pixuleco". The operation was dubbed "Pixuleco" because Vaccari Neto used this slang term to refer to kickbacks paid by contractors involved in a corruption scheme to embezzle money from Petrobras.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta