Brazilian Government Cornered after Conversation between President and Businessman Leaked

05/18/2017 - 11h44

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FROM SÃO PAULO

FROM BRASÍLIA

Brazil's President, Michel Temer, was recorded by one of the founders of slaughterhouse JBS in a conversation that suggests the president showed support to buy the silence of former federal legislator Eduardo Cunha (Brazilian Democratic Movement Party).

"O Globo" newspaper published the information, later confirmed by Folha.

President Temer allegedly was told by Joesley Batista that the businessman was giving Cunha and operator Lúcio Funaro monthly payments in prison to keep them quiet. President Temer then told Batista: "We have to keep it that way, okay?"

The meeting between Temer and Batista occurred earlier in March.

Batista and his brother Wesley allegedly went to the office of Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin to make arrangements for a plea bargain on Wednesday, May 10.

In the conversations, President Temer also appointed federal legislator Rodrigo Rocha Loures (PMDB-PR) to solve the issue discussed with Batista.

Loures was later filmed as he received a suitcase containing R$500,000 ( US$ 161,000) sent by Batista.

It was also informed that Senator Aécio Neves (Brazilian Social Democracy Party) was filmed asking Batista for R$ 2 million (US$ 591,498). The amount allegedly was given to his cousin, which was also filmed.

It was the Brazilian Federal Police's first action to obtain red-handed evidence in the Lava Jato operation.

JBS has been a target of Federal Police investigations in different fronts since 2016.

President Michel Temer confirmed that he had met with Batista. However, he also said that he never requested payments be made to buy Cunha' silence.

Alan Marques/Folhapress Brazil's President Michel Temer

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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