Lula asked for $40 million says Odebrecht

BRAZIL’S ex-­president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked for a “contribution” of $40 million from the construction company Odebrecht in exchange for approving a credit line for the company to win contracts in Angola.

“We already had several contracts closed in Angola and it only required us to have a line of credit,” said the company’s former president,  Marcelo Odebrecht when testifying before Judge Sergio Moro reports Veja magazine. Odebrecht has been sentenced to 20 years in jail, bu is seeking to have his sentence reduced for  revealing details of the bribery and money laundering activities.

Paulo Bernardo, then minister of Planning, allegedly requested the funds, in the name of Lula, in exchange for approving the credit line of $1 billion.

The allegations have come to light as part of the lava jato investigation, in which the company has admitted

to paying $788 million in bribes to officials, including $59 million in Panama when Ricardo Martinelli was in office, (2009-2014).