Brazilian minister quits over leaked tapes
Planning Minister Romero Juca resigned after the release of a recording that allegedly implicates him in the Petrobras investigation.
|||Brasilia - Brazil's Planning Minister Romero Juca resigned late on Monday after a recording emerged of him apparently arguing to block a wide-reaching corruption investigation in a telephone call.
The loss of Juca, a close ally, is a blow to acting President Michel Temer, who assumed office 10 days ago following the suspension of Dilma Rousseff as president by the Senate, pending an impeachment investigation over allegedly manipulated budget figures.
Juca was reportedly recorded in March speaking with Sergio Machado, head of a subsidiary of state-owned oil company Petrobras, saying it was necessary to “stop everything,” and “a change of government is necessary to end the bleeding.”
Most observers regarded the remarks as a call to halt or limit the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption between Petrobras and several senior officials, including both Juca and Machado.
Juca said the quotes, reported by the Folha de S Paolo and other media, were taken out of context, and insisted that he was talking about the country's economic troubles.
He said his support for the Petrobras investigation was a matter of record.
Juca was a key figure in the drive to impeach Rousseff, and is a vice-president of Temer's centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement party.
Juca said he will quit his official duties until the allegations against him are clarified, the Globo paper reported.
DPA