SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki, who was overseeing a graft investigation into scores of powerful politicians, was killed in a plane crash on Thursday, raising questions about who will take over the country’s biggest ever corruption case.

A Navy ship is seen near the wreckage from a plane, which crashed with Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki, who was overseeing a graft investigation into scores of powerful politicians, in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly

Rescuers found three bodies in the wreckage of the small, twin-prop plane that crashed off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state amid heavy rains, firefighters said. Federal prosecutors and police said they would immediately open an investigation in addition to that of aviation authorities.

Zavascki, 68, had in recent weeks been reviewing explosive testimony from executives at engineering group Odebrecht, expected to implicate an array of politicians in a vast kickback scandal centering on state-run oil company Petrobras and other enterprises.

The Hawker Beechcraft C90GT carrying Zavascki left a Sao Paulo airport around 1 p.m. (1500 GMT).

The plane crashed into the sea about 80 minutes later, roughly 3 km (2 miles) from the airport near the colonial tourist town of Paraty, according to air force and civil aviation authorities.

A witness to the accident, Lauro Koehler, who was on a boat near the site of the crash, told TV station GloboNews that visibility was near zero because of the rain, but that he saw the plane banking sharply and losing altitude on its approach.

“The curve the pilot was making seemed too severe,” Koehler said. “But the plane kept curving, to the point that my wife screamed, ‘It’s going to crash!’ Then the plane dropped into the sea.”

Koehler said the tip of the right wing clipped the water first and then its nose plunged into the ocean “with an incredible blow.”

The boat Koehler was on immediately went to the wreckage.

“We saw there was a woman alive inside the plane,” he said. “We tried to open the plane, but it was too late, and she sunk down into the wreckage.”

Related Coverage Brazil Supreme Court justice killed in plane crash: son

Luxury hotel chain Emiliano, which holds the license for the aircraft, confirmed the deaths of the pilot Osmar Rodrigues, whom family said had been flying for 20 years, and Carlos Alberto Fernandes Filgueiras, owner of the hotel chain, but gave no information about a fourth female passenger.

Condolences poured in from federal prosecutors and senior politicians, including some named in the sweeping graft probe - known as Operation Car Wash - that has shaken Brazil’s political establishment over the past three years.

Crusading anti-graft Judge Sergio Moro, who has spearheaded the graft investigation at the grassroots level for nearly three years, said in an emailed statement that he “was stunned” by Zavascki’s death, whom he called a “Brazilian hero.”

“Without him, there would be no Operation Car Wash,” Moro wrote. “I hope that his legacy, of serenity, seriousness and firmness in enforcing the law, regardless of the interests of those involved, even the powerful, will not be forgotten.”

RULING COALITION THREATENED

The investigation, involving at least 6.4 billion reais ($2.0 billion) in bribes for contracts with state-run enterprises, has led to the jailing of dozens of senior executives and has battered the ruling coalition of President Michel Temer.

Under Supreme Court rules, Zavascki’s case load would normally fall to the justice named by Temer to replace him, but an exception can be made for urgent matters, according to a court representative.

Several of Temer’s ministers have fallen because of corruption allegations, and the president himself has been named by at least one Odebrecht executive in leaked plea bargain testimony.

Carlos Pereira, a professor of public administration at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro and a leading expert on corruption, said Zavascki’s death was a serious blow but he was confident it would not derail the graft investigation.

“The death of Teori is unquestionably a stress test for Brazilian institutions, but there is no question that President Temer will be under tremendous pressure to nominate a replacement who has absolutely no hint of wanting to slow or halt the Car Wash investigation,” Pereira said.

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Pereira said that close attention from judges, prosecutors, police and Brazilian civil society would safeguard the case.

“If there is any sign that anyone would use Teori’s death in an opportunistic manner to put up obstacles ... I have no doubt they will be severely punished by many sectors of society,” Pereira said.

The incident recalled the crash of another small aircraft in a storm along the same coastline that killed presidential candidate Eduardo Campos in the heat of the 2014 race. An investigation attributed that crash to pilot error.</s>The plane carrying the Supreme Court judge crashed in Brazil

The plane left Sao Paulo and crashed near the tourist town of Paraty.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki was travelling in the small plane from Sao Paulo.

Rescuers found three dead bodies in the wreckage of the plane crash, a firefighter spokesman confirmed.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki was travelling in the small plane from Sao Paulo

A press representative for the Supreme Court had earlier said Mr Zavascki was on the passenger list for the flight.

The justice was overseeing an investigation into dozens of politicians.

Mr Zavascki’s son confirmed his father was on board.

His son, Francisco Prehn Zavascki, confirmed on his Facebook page that the judge was on the plane, and called for prayers for a miracle that he may have survived.

A judicial source had earlier told Reuters that Mr Zavascki was onboard the aircraft.

Brazil's civil aviation authority ANAC said the Hawker Beechcraft twin-prop plane, model C90GT, had a capacity for a maximum of seven passengers.</s>The judge, a central figure in Operation Carwash, is among the victims, the local fire brigade has confirmed.

​While the plane has the capacity to seat eight, a magistrate by the name of Teori Zavascki was aboard along with three other passengers. Zavascki’s son, Francisco, confirmed his father’s status on the aircraft. "Please pray for a miracle," he said in a Facebook post.

​There are currently some four-dozen troops conducting a search mission. The soldiers are being aided by three Brazilian Navy seacraft, the Rio Fire Department, and local fishing boats. Local media outlets report that the plane landed in the sea of Paraty, adding that three casualties have been confirmed.

The plane, a Beechcraft King Air C90, was less than two miles from the landing strip in Rio, Brazil’s capital. The Brazilian Air Force corroborated reports that four passengers were on the flight, but did not disclose further details about their specific identities. Brazilian aviation agencies noted that the aircraft was fully registered and had been documented to be in working order. No root causes have been offered.

A hostel owner in the region said, "I have not seen the moment of the accident, I just felt a strong smell of fuel." One of her employees is part of the search and rescue team. Brazilian news outlet G1 has called the event an accident.</s>BRASILIA A plane carrying Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki, who is overseeing a massive corruption investigation, crashed into the sea off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state on Thursday, a judicial source said.The small aircraft left Sao Paulo and crashed into the sea near the tourist town of Paraty, airforce and civil aviation sources said. A press representative for the Supreme Court had earlier told Reuters that Zavascki was on the passenger list for the flight, but could not confirm he was onboard.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.</s>SAO PAULO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A plane carrying Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki, who is overseeing a blockbuster graft investigation into dozens of politicians, crashed into the sea off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state on Thursday, his son said.

The small plane left Sao Paulo and crashed near the tourist town of Paraty, air force and civil aviation sources said.

A press representative for the Supreme Court had earlier said Zavascki was on the passenger list for the flight, but could not confirm he was onboard.

His son, Francisco Prehn Zavascki, confirmed on his Facebook page that the judge was on the plane, and called for prayers for a miracle that he may have survived.

A judicial source had earlier told Reuters that Zavascki was onboard the aircraft.

Rescuers found three dead bodies in the wreckage of the plane crash, according to a spokesman for firefighters. Brazil's civil aviation authority ANAC said the Hawker Beechcraft twin-prop plane, model C90GT, had a capacity for a maximum of seven passengers.

Zavascki has been reviewing highly anticipated testimony from dozens of executives at engineering group Odebrecht, which is expected to implicate hundreds of politicians in the biggest corruption case in Brazil's history.

The sprawling investigation, involving at least 6.4 billion reais ($2.0 billion) in bribes for contracts with state-run enterprises, has charged 200 people and convicted more than 80 executives and politicians.</s>SÃO PAULO—The Brazilian Supreme Court judge who presided over a landmark corruption probe died Thursday when a small plane carrying him crashed, raising concerns about the future of an investigation that has put scores of the country’s politicians and businessmen behind bars.

Teori Zavascki, who was vacationing before reviewing eagerly awaited testimony in the case, was traveling from São Paulo to the coastal resort of Paraty when the Hawker Beechcraft turboprop plane plunged into the sea near Rio de Janeiro just before...</s>RIO DE JANEIRO — The son of a Brazilian Supreme Court justice says his father was aboard a plane that crashed off the coast of a city in Rio de Janeiro state. The judge has played a key role in the investigation of a major corruption scandal that has rocked Brazil's government.

Francisco Prehn Zavascki wrote on his Facebook page Thursday that his father, Justice Teori Zavascki, was on a plane that crashed in heavy rain outside of Paraty.

He wrote: "Friends, unfortunately my father was on the plane that crashed. Please pray for a miracle."

A Supreme Court spokesman confirmed that Zavascki was on the passenger list but didn't have more information.

Globo news cited firefighters saying three of the four people aboard the plane had died.</s>Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki was killed in a plane crash on Thursday, raising questions about who will take over his investigation into dozens of politicians in the country’s biggest ever corruption scandal. Rescuers found three bodies in the wreckage of the small, twin-prop plane that crashed off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state amid heavy rains, firefighters said.

Zavascki, 68, had in recent weeks been reviewing explosive testimony from executives at engineering group Odebrecht, expected to implicate hundreds of politicians in a scandal involving kickbacks on contracts at state-run enterprises.The dual-propeller Hawker Beechcraft C90GT carrying Zavascki left a Sao Paulo airport around 1 p.m. (1500 GMT). It crashed into the sea about 80 minutes later near its destination in the tourist town of Paraty, according to air force and civil aviation authorities.

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The plane belonged to luxury hotel group Emiliano, according to civil aviation authority ANAC. No information was provided on the identity of others killed in the crash.Condolences poured in from federal prosecutors and senior politicians, including some named in the sweeping graft probe – known as Operation Car Wash – that has shaken Brazil’s political establishment over the past three years.

Crusading anti-graft Judge Sergio Moro, who has spearheaded the graft investigation at the grassroots level for nearly three years, said in an emailed statement that he “was stunned” by Zavascki’s death, whom he called a “Brazilian hero.””Without him, there would be no Operation Car Wash,” Moro wrote. “I hope that his legacy, of serenity, seriousness and firmness in enforcing the law, regardless of the interests of those involved, even the powerful, will not be forgotten.”

RULING COALITION THREATENED

 The investigation, involving at least 6.4 billion reais ($2.0 billion) in bribes for contracts with state-run enterprises, has led to the jailing of dozens of senior executives and threatens to batter the ruling coalition of President Michel Temer.Under Supreme Court rules, Zavascki’s case load would normally fall to the justice named by Temer to replace him, but an exception can be made for urgent matters, according to a court representative.

Carlos Pereira, a professor of public administration at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro and a leading expert on corruption, said Zavascki’s death was a serious blow but he was confident it would not derail the graft investigation.”The death of Teori is unquestionably a stress test for Brazilian institutions, but there is no question that President Temer will be under tremendous pressure to nominate a replacement who has absolutely no hint of wanting to slow or halt the Car Wash investigation,” Pereira said.

Pereira said that close attention from judges, prosecutors, police and Brazilian civil society would safeguard the case.”If there is any sign that anyone would use Teori’s death in an opportunistic manner to put up obstacles … I have no doubt they will be severely punished by many sectors of society,” Pereira said.</s>The Brazilian supreme court justice presiding over the country's biggest ever corruption scandal has died after a small plane he was travelling in crashed off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state.

Teori Zavascki was one of four people on board the Hawker Beechcraft twin-prop aircraft when it went down on Thursday (19 January) afternoon in the Paraty region of Brazil.

Boats swarmed around the crash site, but only three of the bodies have been recovered. Zavascki's son confirmed his father was one of the victims.

Local reports state heavy rain hit the region, but the timing of the death is likely to arouse suspicions of foul play.

Zavascki played a crucial role in Operation Car Wash, a judicial inquiry into a bribery and kickback scandal involving the state-controlled oil company Petrobras.

In recent days, the judge had been reviewing evidence from senior executives at Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction company, which could result in many more arrests of powerful figures in Congress and the business community.

Sergio Moro, the prosecutor who has led the Lava Jato investigation for nearly three years, said in a statement that he was "perplexed" by the death of Zavascki, who he described as a "Brazilian hero".

"Without him, there would be no Operation Car Wash," Moro wrote, according to Reuters.

"I hope that his legacy, of serenity, seriousness and firmness in enforcing the law, regardless of the interests of those involved, even the powerful, will not be forgotten."

Scores of businessmen and politicians – including the current and former presidents Michel Temer and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – are implicated in the scandal, which involves at least R$6.4bn (£1.62bn, $2.0 bn) in bribes.

Temer, who was reportedly astonished by the news, must now appoint a replacement for Zavascki.

Carlos Pereira, a professor of public administration at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro and a leading expert on corruption, said Zavascki's death was a serious blow but he was confident it would not derail the graft investigation.

"The death of Teori is unquestionably a stress test for Brazilian institutions, but there is no question that President Temer will be under tremendous pressure to nominate a replacement who has absolutely no hint of wanting to slow or halt the Car Wash investigation," he told Reuters.

"If there is any sign that anyone would use Teori's death in an opportunistic manner to put up obstacles... I have no doubt they will be severely punished by many sectors of society."

Brazil's civil aviation authority ANAC is investigating the cause of the crash.</s>Son of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki says his father has died in a plane crash.
A small plane carrying Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki crashes into the sea near the tourist town of Paraty in the state of Rio de Janeiro, killing the magistrate and two other people. Zavascki had been handling the politically-charged Operation Car Wash corruption trials.