Dozens of politicians and big companies in Brazil have been entangled in corruption investigations that have sent shock waves through the country, CGTN’s Paulo Cabral reports.

Just recently, a Chinese-led consortium announced its interest in completing line six of the metro system in Sao Paulo, Brazil's business capital.

Construction on the project began in 2015 but was suspended last year after the original contractors got entangled in corruption allegations.

The group includes the country’s biggest construction company – Odebrecht – whose former CEO Marcelo Odebrecht has been in jail for over two years serving a 19-year sentence for paying bribes.

Over the last few years, corruption probes in Brazil, especially the landmark Car Wash probe into illegal dealings involving oil giant Petrobras, have had deep impacts on the business community, political establishment and the economy. As investigations continue, it’s unclear what else may be revealed.

Right now, the congress is looking into charges of obstruction against President Michel Temer despite a report by the Chamber of Deputies to the lower house of parliament that recommended rejecting those charges.

There is widespread perception in Brazil that politicians have been trying to slow down the investigations.

But one analyst says their capacity to do so is limited because of the relative independence of federal police, prosecutors and controllers.

"We can have a will of the government in terms of stopping those investigations but on the other side you have the force from the internal corporations in charge of the investigation that can try to prevent these actions," said Sandro Cabral, a strategy expert with Insper education institute. "It’s a track that we have pursued and not sure we can reverse this path of continuing the investigations. The population would not allow it."

As investigations progress, there’s also concern about the impact on the economy, as some of the country’s biggest companies have been hit.

One economics professor says the enquiries are one reason behind a drop in the level of investment.

"Without the Car Wash, we would have better prospects in the short term to grow but in the long term we would be stuck in problems related to corruption. In the best scenario we would get rid of corruption and Brazil would develop a new judicial system and new institutions that would foster investment," said Professor Leonardo Weller of the Getulio Vargas Foundation.

Some Brazilians seem to believe battling corruption is key to the country’s long-term development even if it increases hardships for now. 

Meantime, presidential elections are due next year, and Lula da Silva, a former president who was himself sentenced to nine years and six months over allegations of corruption linked to the Car Wash probe, is leading in the polls.