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Leaked recordings put Brazilian new anti-corruption minister in hot water

Xinhua, May 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

Recordings leaked on Sunday night have placed the Minister of Transparency, Fabiano Silveira, in trouble as he could be heard criticizing the Operation Lava Jato, an investigation into the Petrobras corruption ring.

The files, leaked by the Globo television station, were recorded by Sergio Machado, the former president of state-owned Transpetro, the transportation arm of Petrobras, on February 24.

In them, Silveira can be heard saying that investigations had reached an "impasse" against Machado himself and the Senate President, Renan Calheiros.

At that time, the minister was part of the National Council of Justice, which met with Machado and Calheiros to advise them in their defense as part of the Petrobras corruption ring.

Silveira can also be heard blasting Brazil's prosecutor general, Rodrigo Janot, stating "he is lost in this matter (Lava Jato)."

In another recording, Machado and Calheiros discussed steps taken by Silveira to uncover new developments into their trials.

Machado's recordings, taken and leaked as part of a deal he reached with investigators, have shaken the foundations of Temer's Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB).

On May 24, a tape already led to the resignation of Romero Juca, the Minister of Planning.

Taped in March, Juca could be heard saying that the government of suspended president Dilma Rousseff needed to fall "to stop the bloodshed" caused by Lava Jato. Enditem