The corruption scandal enveloping Brazilian state oil giant Petrobras deepened when prosecutors said they will investigate three members of the ruling coalition, including the governor of Rio de Janeiro state.
Dozens of political figures and former Petrobras executives are under suspicion over a scheme facilitating corruption and money laundering that saw an estimated $3.8 billion creamed off inflated contracts over a decade, though nobody has yet been convicted.
The latest to fall under suspicion in the snowballing scandal, dubbed Operation Car Wash, are Luiz Fernando Pezao, governor of Rio state; predecessor Sergio Cabral; and Tiao Viana, governor of Acre state, in Brazil's north.
All are members of the ruling coalition.
A statement from the attorney-general's office said it had "detected evidence of passive corruption and money laundering" against the three men.
The accusations leveled against them were made by Paulo Roberto Costa, a former Petrobras director who turned whistleblower in a bid to reach a plea bargain with investigators.Petrobras