President Temer Tells Federal Police He Did Not Authorize Aide to Receive Money on His Behalf

01/19/2018 - 11h34

Among the responses that President Michel Temer (MDB) offered to the Federal Police, which sent the president a list of 50 questions, was the denial of any irregularities in terms of using legislation to benefit particular companies in the port sector.

The president also stated that he did not authorize former aide Rodrigo Rocha Loures to negotiate with businessmen and receive money on his behalf.

Last year, Mr. Loures was caught running with a suitcase full of money that had been delivered by a JBS executive.

The legislation in question, which was published in May of 2017, extended the duration of concession contracts in the port sector.

The president said that he had no influence on the matter, nor did he accompany or authorize Mr. Loures to keep tabs on the procedures that led to the approval of the bill.

At the request of former prosecutor general Rodrigo Janot, Mr. Temer is being investigated for corruption and money laundering.

The investigation was based on documents that were seized during Operation Patmos, as well as phone taps targeting Mr. Loures. In one of the calls, president Temer gave information to his former aide concerning the ports bill.

President Temer has stated that he has maintained a strictly institutional relationship with the port sector both as vice-president, during the Dilma Rousseff administration, and also as the president of the country.

"I have never maintained any kind of relationship with the port sector that was any different from the relationships I have maintained with anyone in the entrepreneurial sector, be it as a congressman, a vice-president or as the president of the country", Mr. Temer said.

"I have hosted and talked to several representatives belonging to the various social and entrepreneurial sectors in the country, among which were representatives from the port sector".

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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	Adriano Machado/Reuters
	Brazil's President Michel Temer