Two former Brazilian Presidents rubbish graft charges

Rio de Janeiro, Sep 6 (IANS) Former Brazilian Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff have denied the accusations of corruption and embezzlement against them.

Lula said Prosecution General Rodrigo Janot's "accusations are baseless".

"A campaign of persecution against former President Lula, moved by party-dominated sectors of the judicial system," Xinua quoted Lula's press office as saying on Tuesday evening.

"It was announced today to try to create a negative fact on the day Lula concludes his victorious journey through the northeast."

In an endeavor to gather support and highlight the achievements of the Workers' Party's government, Lula is currently holding a victorious rally in the northeastern states.

Both Lula and Rousseff were formally accused of criminal associations by Janot.

The prosecution based on testimonies of Marcelo Odebrecht, head of construction company Odebrecht, accused the two former Presidents of heading a scheme to favour the Workers' Party and embezzle money from oil giant Petrobras.

Rousseff also released a statement, accusing Odebrecht of blatantly lying in his testimony and denying any participation in corruption schemes and bribe-taking.

"The information that Dilma Rousseff asked or ordered anyone to ask for any resources or favors from Marcelo Odebrecht or his company's executives is a lie," her office said, adding "that has never happened" and "the truth will come to light".

Senator Gleisi Hoffmann, the current leader of the Workers' Party, was also denounced in the same case besides Lula and Rousseff.

Hoffmann, however, denied all accusations and accused the prosecution of trying to divert attention from a prominent case of corruption involving Geddel Vieira Lima, a former Minister of the current administration, the report said.