President Temer Cancels Trip to Asia as Investigations Advance

04/30/2018 - 14h57

Brazilian president, Michel Temer, gave up the trip to southeastern Asia he had scheduled for next week.

This is the second time he cancels the trip - he had cancelled the first trip following medical recommendations. His decision now coincides with the request made by the Federal Police to continue with investigations against him over the decree that benefitted a port company.

Also, the testimony of Temer's daughter, Maristela Temer, was scheduled for next week. The material used to renovate Maristela's house was paid for by Maria Rita Fratezi, the wife of Colonel João Baptista de Lima Filho.

As investigations advance, President Temer was advised to shorten or cancel his trip aboard. In the country, Temer will have better conditions to draw up a strategy of judicial reaction.

The Federal Police investigators' main suspicion is that President Temer laundered bribery money in the payment of the renovation of his relatives' houses and hid real estate transactions in the name of third parties.

The involvement of his relatives annoyed the president, who gave an address stating that he was the victim of criminal prosecution disguised as an investigation.

"It is against my honor and it is even worse. These are lies that affect my family," said Temer.

The presidential office says that Temer also decided to stay in Brazil to follow the voting of the bill in the Lower House that includes R$ 1.3 billion (US$ 375 million) in the federal budget. Last week the government was informed that Venezuela and Mozambique failed to pay R$ 1.5 (US$ 433 million) for works and services.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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