Brazilian prosecutors have charged 35 businessmen in connection with the Petrobras corruption case.
The 35 are accused of being complicit in a scheme which saw dozens of politicians, mostly allies of the government, receive hundreds of millions of dollars in sweeteners from over-charged contracts involving Brazil's biggest company.
The group are the first people to be charged in the scandal, which broke following the arrest nine months ago of Paulo Roberto Costa, formerly a Petrobras director of supplies.
Costa blew the whistle as part of a plea bargain.
The prosecutors' office added further prosecutions were likely to follow after charging former officials at the state-owned oil giant along with a slew of figures from leading construction and engineering firms who allegedly paid out bribes in return for winning fat contracts.
Those accused face charges of corruption, money laundering and helping to set up a criminal organisation.
Executives charged included ranking officials from constructors such as OAS, Camargo Correa, UTC, Mendes Junior, Engevix and Galvao Engenharia Engineering.
They are accused of forming a "club" to rotate contracts with Petrobras and cream off cash for politicians to look the other way.
Police estimate that overall the corrupt network managed to launder around $US3.8 billion ($A4.11 billion).
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