Rio de Janeiro governor arrested on corruption charges

RIO DE JANEIRO: The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezao, was arrested Thursday over allegations he took bribes as part of the sprawling “Car Wash” graft probe. Pezao, 63, is accused of receiving bribes when he was vice governor of the Brazilian city under Sergio Cabral, who is currently in prison after being sentenced to a cumulative 180 years for corruption. The Globo News television channel showed live footage of federal police at Pezao´s residence, where he was having breakfast at the time. “The governor is part of the political nucleus of a criminal organization that, over the last few years, committed several crimes against the public administration, especially corruption and money laundering,” a General Prosecutor´s Office statement said.