Brazil in crisis over corruption claims

[emad]

Allegations of payments to allies sour achievements of leftwing government and threaten future of President Lula

Gibby Zobel in Sao Paulo
Monday July 11, 2005
The Guardian

For politics to eclipse football in Brazil as bar talk, something serious has to be going on.
Last week at the Bar California in downtown Sao Paulo, the waiter, Tattoo, was locked in debate with his customers.

"How can one man move so much money in his accounts in six years?" he asked. "He made withdrawals of R$250,000 <£60,000> at a time. No one can spend that kind of money shopping. Brazil is never going to get rid of this corruption."


As the Brazil-only final of the Copa Libertadores - South America's equivalent of the Champions League - was being played out in the background, what was exercising the bar's customers was a scandal that has rocked the political establishment of the country as well as many of its 186 million citizens.

The president of the ruling Workers' party (PT), Jose Genoino, was the latest to quit on Saturday after an aide to his politician brother tried to catch a plane with $200,000 stuffed in his luggage and underpants.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1525574,00.html