Brazil police want to question former president on kickback scheme at Petrobras

Brazil's Supreme Court says the federal police have asked for its permission to question former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about possible involvement in the corruption-kickback scheme at state-owned oil company Petrobras.

The court's press office confirmed the request that was reported on Friday by weekly newsmagazine Epoca on its website.

According to the magazine, police believe Silva "may have obtained advantages for himself, his party and the government while he was president.

Epoca's report did not describe those advantages.

The federal police department and the Sao Paulo-based Lula Institute said they had no comment on the report.

The decade-long kickback scheme involved what prosecutors say was $2 billion in bribes paid to politically appointed executives at Petrobras, who awarded contracts to Brazil's top construction and engineering firms.