In Brazil, the former Chairman of the world’s largest meat processing conglomerate JBS, Joesley Batista, was arrested, who previously accused the President of the country Temer of corruption. Antonio Andrade, Vice-Governor of Minas Gerais, and former Minister of agriculture were also arrested.
Police said in a statement that the arrests were part of an investigation into a fraudulent scheme that dates back to 2014-2015, when company executives handed over bribes to government officials and politicians associated with the Ministry of agriculture in exchange for favorable decisions and rules that helped JBS eliminate competition. It is reported by the New York Times.
The police stated that there is evidence that some of the defendants tried to change the course of the investigation, although they allegedly cooperated with the investigation.
The police arrested 16 people, three more arrests are possible. In addition, the police also carried out dozens of searches.
Batista, once the head of the world’s largest meat-processing conglomerate, became a headline hero in may 2017 as he published secret audio recordings of President Michel Temer encouraging the payment of bribes to a high-ranking politician in exchange for his silence. The accusations against Temer were part of a deal with the investigation, which Batista concluded with Federal prosecutors involved in the illegal activities of the meat business magnate in the framework of the largest in recent history of the country scandal and grandiose anti-corruption investigation Operation car Wash (Lava Jato).
Recall that in July 2018, billionaire Eike Batista was sentenced to 30 years in prison: he was found guilty of bribery of the former Governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro Sergio Cabral and money laundering. According to the court decision, Batista transferred $ 16.5 million to the former Governor of Rio de Janeiro, through his henchmen-Carlos Miranda and Carlos Cordeiro. Another part of the money was laundered in the law firm, which was associated with the wife of the former head of Rio de Janeiro Adrian Anselmo.
