BRASILIA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Brazil is suffering from an "acute moral crisis" that threatens the country's future, commander of the army Eduardo Dias da Costa Villas Boas said on Wednesday.
During a ceremony commemorating the Army Day, Dias said the crisis, sparked by the "countless cases of corruption" currently under investigation, endangers the future of the country.
Brazil is gripped by an extensive investigation into graft, known as Operation Car Wash, that has incriminated top government officials, as well as former presidents.
Testimony by former executives of construction giant Petrobras has laid bare a long-running scheme to inflate public works contracts so both the company and government officials could pocket millions in public funds.
"Personal and corporate interests have overridden the national interest (but) the country, its people and its army are not going to submit to pessimism and disintegration," said Dias.
At the ceremony, the army presented President Michel Temer with the Military Merit Award.
The award was also presented to Defense Minister Raul Jungmann and Judge Sergio Moro, who is leading investigation.
