1st LD: Former Brazilian president leaves police office after questioning over corruption probe

Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva left the police office here Friday morning after three hours of questioning over a probe into a corruption scheme, police said.

Earlier in the day, Federal police agents searched Lula's residence in Sao Paulo and brought the former president to the local police station for questioning. The operation is part of Brazil's massive anti-corruption campaign code-named Operation Car Wash.

The Brazilian prosecutor said that current investigations are not conclusive enough to lead to an imprisonment conviction for Lula.

Friday morning's operations were conducted in three states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, where over 30 people were arrested and 11 were detained for questioning, police said.

The police also searched the Lula Institute, his nonprofit organization, a ranch and an apartment which investigators said belongs to Lula. But the former president denied it.

Lula was not formally arrested and was released as soon as his testimony ended.

The federal police said in a statement that, in the 24th phase of the Operation Car Wash, they continue the investigations of corruption scheme at state-controlled oil and gas giant Petrobras, started in early 2014, to determine the connection between scheme beneficiaries and Lula.

There is evidence showing that Lula benefited from the bribery scheme at the state-owned oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, according to the statement. Endit