SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A justice at Brazil's Federal Supreme Court blocked the appointment of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the Cabinet on Friday, a decision that allows a federal judge to continue an investigation against the former president, GloboNews channel reported.

According to GloboNews, which did not say how it obtained the information, Justice Gilmar Mendes said the decision stems from a perception that Lula could hamper the course of investigations linked to a sweeping corruption scandal known in Brazil as "Operation Car Wash." The decision can be appealed before plenary at the court, known as STF, the news channel said.

Lula was appointed President Dilma Rousseff's chief of staff this week, but several injunctions have prevented him from taking office. Opponents say his nomination is designed to help Lula evade prosecutors who charged him with money laundering and fraud linked to the biggest corruption probe in Brazil's history.

(Reporting by Guillermo Parra-Bernal; Editing by Sandra Maler)