Brazil’s Former Presidents accused of Forming a Criminal Organization By Devry Smith Frank LLP Blog, Criminal LawSeptember 7, 2017June 18, 2020 No comments yet Former President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff and other staff part of their Workers’ Party have been accused of forming a criminal organization. Charges were filed on Tuesday as part of an investigation into a scheme to inflate state contracts to pay kickbacks and bribes to politicians. The corruption probe has netted dozens of executives and senior politicians. An accusation against Rousseff includes: Suspicion of breaking budgetary rules by shifting money around to cover short-term deficits, ultimately landing her on an impeachment trial Some accusations against Luiz include: Multi-billion dollar bribery scheme revolving around the state-run oil company, Petrobras Obstruction charges on suspicion that he tried to pay a former Petrobras executive to stop him from giving information to authorities Silva, his successor and allies are accused of orchestrating the receipt of around $480 million in bribes. Silva alone faces several charges and has already been sentenced to 9 ½ years in another case, which he is appealing. For more information see: LA Times If you require representation for criminal offences, please contact our Criminal Lawyer David Schell, or call Devry Smith Frank LLP at 416-449-1400 today. By: Nicolas Di Nardo “This article is intended to inform and entertain. Its content does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon by readers as such. If you require legal assistance, please see a lawyer. Each case is unique and a lawyer with good training and sound judgment can provide you with advice tailored to your specific situation and needs.” Related Posts By David M. Schell Blog, COVID-19, Criminal LawApril 30, 2020September 30, 2020 What can I get ticketed for during the COVID-19 State of Emergency in Ontario? This blog is co-written by our former articling student, Janet Son. There is a growing list of Orders-in-Council being made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (“EMCPA”), which provides the Ontario government with sweeping powers to put measures in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is a growing concern about excessive ticketing and [...] Read more By David M. Schell Blog, Criminal LawNovember 28, 2019September 30, 2020 When Does Negligence Become Criminal? The Criminal Code of Canada contains several negligence based criminal offences, including dangerous driving as well as failure to provide the necessaries of life. The broader offence of criminal negligence is contained at section 219 of the Criminal Code. Section 220 is the provision dealing with criminal negligence causing death. They read as follows: 219 [...] Read more By David M. Schell Blog, Criminal LawFebruary 22, 2019June 14, 2020 No comments yet Can I be Criminalized or given a Custodial Sentence for Possessing or Using ‘Legal’ Cannabis? The answer to the above question is really dependent on how someone obtains their cannabis and what one then does with their legal cannabis. Bill C-45 has now become law and in a previous post we spoke about the use of recreational cannabis and its legalization on October 17, 2018, by the federal government. In response, the [...] Read more By David M. Schell Blog, Criminal LawFebruary 11, 2019June 14, 2020 No comments yet What Are the Consequences of Filing a False Police Report In Canada? By now we have all been subjected to the tragic details of television star Jussie Smollett’s alleged attack in Chicago earlier this year. When the news broke initially, it seemed as though Smollett was a survivor of what appeared to be a hate crime and his colleagues within the entertainment business did not hesitate to [...] Read more By David M. Schell Blog, Cannabis Law, Criminal LawOctober 20, 2018June 16, 2020 No comments yet Cannabis: Legislation passed For Legalization – But What Happens Next? On October 17, 2018, the historic formation of a new industry was birthed and the decriminalization of cannabis and its recreational use was finally introduced. A day whereby some thought would most certainly never be the case, however, the general perception of liberalism in Ontario may, in actual fact, not be as unrestricted as one [...] Read more