Brazilian former Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff denied on Tuesday evening the accusations of corruption and embezzlement against them.
"The Prosecution General's accusations are baseless and are a political action ... a campaign of persecution against former President Lula, moved by party-dominated sectors of the judicial system," Lula's press office state said.
"It was announced today to try to create a negative fact on the day Lula concludes his victorious journey through the northeast," the office said.
Lula is currently holding a victorious rally in the northeastern states to gather support and highlight the achievements of the Workers' Party's government in the region.
Both Lula and Rousseff were formally accused of criminal associations by Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot. Based on testimonies of Marcelo Odebrecht, head of construction company Odebrecht, the prosecution accused both presidents of heading a scheme to favor the Workers' Party and embezzle money from oil giant Petrobras.
Rousseff also released a statement, accusing Marcelo Odebrech of blatantly lying in his testimony and denying any participation in corruption schemes and bribe-taking.
"The information that Dilma Rousseff asked or ordered anyone to ask for any resources or favors from Marcelo Odebrecht or his company's executives is a lie," Rousseff's office said.
"That has never happened. The truth will come to light," her office said.
In addition to Lula and Rousseff, Senator Gleisi Hoffmann, current leader of the Workers' Party, was also denounced in the same case.
Hoffmann denied all accusations and accused the prosecution of trying to divert attention from a prominent case of corruption involving Geddel Vieira Lima, a former minister of the current administration, who was found in possession of several million reals in cash earlier Tuesday.
