RIO DE JANEIRO/MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) — According to the O Globo magazine, Lula da Silva, who was in office between 2003 and 2010, was found guilty of receiving about $1.2 million worth of bribes from Brazilian OAS construction company, with the money spent on refurbishing a luxury three-story beach apartment in the seaside town of Guaruja.
In exchange for bribes OAS reportedly was able to get beneficial contracts from Petrobras state-controlled oil company.
In 2014, it was revealed that businesses paid more than $2 billion in bribes to sign contracts with the oil company and obtain projects which later increased in cost. The scandal triggered a large-scale inquiry and discontent which were partly responsible for the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff who headed the company in 2003-2010.
Lula da Silva has been also banned from occupying any official positions for 19 years, which undermines his plans to run for presidency in 2018, and has been fined $205,000. The former president is reportedly going to appeal to the court's decision.
