Federal police in Brazil have carried out more than a dozen raids as part of a widening corruption investigation, including one targeting a senator closely allied with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.On Thursday, Brazilian police released a statement saying 18 search-and-seizure warrants were executed in the federal district of Brasilia, as well as the states of Bahia and Sao Paulo.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listOne involved Senator Jaques Wagner, 75, a former Bahia governor who helps lead the governing Workers’ Party coalition in Congress.The warrants were part of an ongoing probe into financial “irregularities” tied to the former lending bank Banco Master.Brazil’s courts ordered the bank to be liquidated last year, and in March, its owner, Daniel Vorcaro, was arrested as he faced accusations of fraud, money laundering and other crimes.Thursday’s warrants marked the latest in a series of raids designed to uncover the extent of Vorcaro’s financial crimes and how they might have driven government corruption.Brazil’s Supreme Court authorised the search warrant to allow investigators to explore a “possible illicit relationship” between Banco Master and Senator Wagner.It added that Wagner may have received “undue economic advantages” through his connection to the bank, including access to private planes and compensation, such as millions of dollars and an apartment.In return, Wagner is accused of advocating for the bank’s interests by promoting a failed constitutional …
