EX- MINISTER ARRESTED FOR GRAFT IN BRAZIL

Sao Paulo: The Brazilian police on Monday arrested former finance minister Antonio Palocci, the latest high- level suspect in the huge Petrobras corruption probe, prosecutors said. He joins a long list of top officials accused of taking part in a huge bribery scheme linked to the state oil company, which has rocked the political establishment in Latin America’s biggest economy. Mr Palocci, 55, served as finance minister under former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and as chief of staff for his successor Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached in August. Mr Palocci was also a key figure in the leftist Workers’ Party. His lawyer Roberto Batochio rejected the accusations as a “show.” The suspect “was detained in Sao Paulo on a temporary detention order for five days and must leave today for Curitiba,” an official said.