Juliana Barbassa – AP, 09/05/2012
Four politicians were arrested and three others were being sought in an anti-corruption sting in a Rio de Janeiro town, officials said Wednesday, describing it as an example of other operations that are under way.
Among the seven arrested or sought were the mayor, the leading candidate for mayor and the head of the city council in Guapimirim, a working class town of about 52,000 people in the foothills of Rio de Janeiro’s mountains.
Authorities said 11 other suspects also were indicted in a scheme that investigators allege illegally siphoned off at least $24 million in public funds over four years. The charges include fraud, corruption and racketeering.
