Paulo Roberto Costa, who stepped down in 2012, was arrested on Thursday morning amid raids this week aiming to break up the Lava Jato money-laundering scheme, accused of scrubbing over $10 billion reais ($4.29 billion).

His detention was ordered this week by a court in Parana state.

Judge Joao Pedro Gebran Neto with Brazil's federal justice tribunal in Rio denied the request for release on Friday on concerns Costa might interfere with evidence collection in the case, according to a statement.

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