Corruption in Brazil is “widespread”, according to a former director of the country’s oil company.
Paulo Roberto Costa told a congressional hearing that corruption was an accepted way of doing business which took place “all over Brazil”.
Mr Costa was arrested in March and is being investigated for his alleged role in a kickback scheme at the state-run oil company, Petrobras.
The scandal could be one of the biggest in Brazil’s history.
As part of a plea bargain, he helped lift the lid on a scheme that allegedly used inflated Petrobras contracts to funnel money to parties of the governing coalition.
He claims to have given investigators the names of dozens of politicians who have received payments.
But he told the committee: "What has been reported occurring at Petrobras happens all over Brazil in contracts for roads, railways, ports, airports, hydroelectric dams”.
Police last month arrested at least 20 executives from some of the country’s biggest construction and engineering companies in connection with the investigation.
President Dilma Rousseff said the case was "symbolic" and that it could change the country forever.
