Ex-minister accuses former Brazil President Lula of accepting bribes

FILE PHOTO: Former Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends a rally in the northeastern city of Lagarto, in Sergipe, Brazil August 21, 2017. Picture taken August 21, 2017. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker/File Photo

BRASILIA (Reuters) - The former finance minister under Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday accused the ex-president of receiving bribes from contractor Odebrecht [ODBES.UL], adding to a list of corruption accusations that threaten Lula's ability to run for president in 2018.

Lawyers for the former finance minister, Antonio Palocci, said he told prosecutors that Lula accepted Odebrecht's purchase of land for an institute in his name, a country house in Sao Paulo state and 300 million reais ($97 million) to be used after he left office.