Brazil’s former president was arrested on Thursday on corruption charges, making him the second ex-head of state to be detained in a five-year investigation which has shaken the country to its core.

Michel Temer, who took over from Dilma Rousseff when she was impeached in 2016, served as president until Jair Bolsonaro took over on January 1.

Mr Temer, 78, no longer has the partial immunity that helped him avoid prosecution. His arrest follows that of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, who is currently serving 12 years on a corruption conviction as part of the same investigation.

The case, known as Lava Jato or “Car Wash”, has seen over 150 powerful politicians and businessmen convicted in relation to the investigation, which has reshaped the country's political and business landscapes.

Mr Temer is accused by prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro of being the leader of a "criminal organisation" that diverted 1.8 billion Reais (£362 million) from the construction of the Angra nuclear power plant complex, on the Rio de Janeiro coast.

They allege that construction company Engevix paid bribes to Mr Temer in exchange for a contract to build the plant.