Brazil detains top politician behind Rousseff impeachment

Police in Brazil have arrested the once powerful lawmaker, Eduardo Cunha, who orchestrated the ouster of President Dilma Rousseff, as part of an extensive corruption investigation.

"We can confirm that (Cunha) was detained in Brasilia," a police spokesman said on Wednesday.

According to Brazilian G1 news website, the office of Brazil’s top anti-corruption judge, Sergio Moro, issued Cunha’s arrest warrant. The detained former lawmaker initiated the impeachment proceedings that led to the ouster of Rousseff by the senate in August. The former president was accused of violating federal budget regulations. Rousseff had accused Cunha of mounting a coup.

Cunha, the former speaker of Brazil's lower house, has been embroiled in the scandal engulfing the country’s oil giant, Petrobras, as he is accused of massive bribe taking and money laundering.

He was expelled from the congress in September.

Prosecutors said in a statement that they demanded Cunha's arrest as he represented a threat to the integrity of the probe.

Brazil is currently witnessing what is believed to be the biggest anti-corruption push in its history.

Prosecutors have charged nearly 200 people, including top executives and politicians. At least 83 people have already been found guilty and sentenced.

Rousseff’s predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, will stand trial for accepting bribes in connection with Petrobras. Her successor, former vice president, Michel Temer, is also implicated in another criminal probe related to elections violations.

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