Ex-Minister Geddel Intermediated Negotiations for Cunha's Silence, Says Businessman Batista

06/20/2017 - 08h34

Businessman Joesley Batista, a partner of the J&F group, a private holding based in Brazil, said that former minister Geddel Vieira Lima (PMDB-BA) was the "messenger" of President Michel Temer, responsible for informing him on the situation of alleged payments to buy the silence of former congressman Eduardo Cunha (PMDB-RJ) and black market currency dealer Lúcio Bolonha Funaro. Both have been in jail since last year after actions of the Lava Jato operation.

The information is in the interview Joesley Batista gave "Época" magazine and disclosed on Friday, June 16.

Batista said that former minister Geddel met with him every two weeks to receive information on the payments. Batista said he has no doubt that President Temer was aware of the scheme. "For sure [Temer knew about the payments]. After Cunha was arrested, I was always in contact with Geddel to report on these subjects. The president knew about everything," Batista said.

Batista also said that Temer was hierarchically above Cunha and accused the president of being the leader of a criminal organization. "Temer is the head of the Orcrim [an acronym for criminal organization] of the House of Representatives. Temer, Eduardo Cunha, Geddel, Henrique [Alves], [Eliseu] Padilha e Moreira [Franco]. It's their group. Those who are not in jail are now in the government. This gang is very dangerous," said the businessman.

Joesley Batista said the money demanded by Cunha and Funaro was linked to several subjects and, as an example, he cited Cunha's demand for R$ 5 million (US$ 1.5 million) to stop opening proceedings of a parliamentary investigation commission that would affect JBS. At the occasion, Batista refused to pay.

Batista says the demands for bribes continued even after Cunha was sentenced to jail.

JBS, a meatpacking company belonging to the J&F group, is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil (CVM) in five administrative proceedings to investigate alleged misconduct, such as the use of privileged information in forward exchange and stock negotiations. In the interview, Batista said that he did not manipulate the market.

Also in the interview, Batista made accusations against the PT, which, he says inaugurated the scheme that continued during the Temer administration. The person who received the bribes was allegedly former finance minister Guido Mantega. Batista, however, did not accuse former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and stated that he has never had a "non republican" conversation with Lula.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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