The inquiry does not name anyone as a suspect, and centres on claims of corruption, influence trafficking, forgery, abuse of public funds and money-laundering.
More details are sure to come out: Lula faces four additional trials for charges including corruption, influence peddling, and obstruction of justice.
But the new investigations tap deeper veins: corruption, influence peddling and accusations that public officials are answering to murky networks of power far beyond their institutional roles.
In July, Sarkozy was charged with corruption, influence peddling and violation of legal secrecy in the case – and became the first former head of state to be taken into police custody for questioning.
A French inquiry which opened this year was due to look at charges of "active and passive corruption", "influence peddling" and other issues, a judicial source told AFP news agency in April.
That "corruption, influence peddling, and lack of government accountability are in fact very difficult to prevent across all 50 states".
They have recognized how the issues of theft and corruption influence the currency and people's lives.
The scandal is arguably the biggest yet to hit the president, who has fended off accusations of corruption, influence peddling, and even rape since before he took office in 2009.
(The attorney general of Switzerland, where FIFA is based, is also investigating whether corruption influenced the decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively).
But the official New China News Agency reported Monday that allegations of corruption and influence peddling were "groundless".
