Brazilian police arrested a prominent banker and the former mayor of Sao Paulo among others in a series of raids today related to a government bribery scandal, federal police said.
Brazilian banker Daniel Dantas, the head of the Opportunity financial group, was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and tax evasion related to the scandal that rocked President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government in 2005.
Investor Naji Nahas and former Sao Paulo Mayor Celso Pitta were also taken into custody in the raids targeting 24 people in four states.
The federal police said 300 officers took part in the operation in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, the capital Brasilia and in the northeastern city of Salvador. They had 24 arrest warrants and 56 search warrants as part of the probe.
A spokesman for the federal police said Dantas was the head of "a criminal organization involved in various crimes and which had front companies for diverting public funds."
Mr Dantas, who was arrested in Rio, is head of the Opportunity group that used to control phone company Brasil Telecom with Citigroup and Telecom Italia.
In the "Mensalao" (monthly payouts) scandal, the opposition alleged that undeclared campaign funds were used to buy votes in support of government proposals in Congress. The scandal forced Jose Dirceu, Lula's powerful cabinet chief, to resign, although he denied any wrongdoing.