Former Brazil House Speaker gets 15 Years in Prison for Corruption

Playing a key role into the investigation of corruption involving Oil giant Petrobas, Cunha was unable to steer the investigation away from himself.

By Eric DuVall

Former Brazilian House Speaker Eduardo Cunha arrives to court in Curitiba, Brazil. Cunha was sentenced

to 15 years in prison for corruption involving state-run oil company Petrobas. The former politician

led the impeachment proceeding against former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. File photo by EPA

What goes around, comes around

UPI -- Eduardo Cunha, the Brazilian lawmaker who spearheaded the impeachment of former President Dilma Rousseff, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday after his own corruption scandal.

Cunha, 58, was found guilty of accepting the hiding more than $1.5 million in bribes from Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobas. As the speaker of Brazil's House, Cunha had a key role in the sprawling investigation into bribes and kickbacks paid out by Petrobas to lawmakers from private companies seeking government contracts. The investigation, dubbed Operation Car Wash, ensnared Rousseff and several other lawmakers -- and eventually Cunha himself.

A judge said he took the money and laundered it in a Swiss bank account where he kept it hidden until investigators tracked it down. He was removed from the Brazilian Congress by an overwhelming vote of lawmakers last year after the Supreme Court approved a request by the attorney general to open an investigation into Cunha relating to Petrobas.

Cudos to Operation Car Wash for a great job. Now, are there any clean politicians in Brazil, or any 3rd world country?