RIO DE JANEIRO — A Brazilian Supreme Court justice is rejecting a motion that would have let former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva take a Cabinet post.
Rosa Weber on Tuesday denied a request by Silva’s lawyers to overturn a decision last week that blocked Silva from becoming chief of staff to his successor, President Dilma Rousseff.
Critics say Silva’s nomination was an attempt to give him the special legal status accorded to Cabinet ministers. It takes a Supreme Court decision to authorize investigations against them.
Police recently took Silva in for questioning as part of a sprawling investigation into corruption at Brazil’s Petrobras oil company, though no charges were filed.
Silva was sworn in on Thursday but only held the office for hours amid a slew of legal actions.