6 hours agoPolice find $16m in former minister's apartment
Periskopi(9 years ago)
(9 years ago)Brazil's federal police have on Tuesday found a large amount of money hidden in an apartment allegedly used by one of President Michel Temer's former cabinet members. The seizure is the biggest in the country's history. A photograph provided by police as part of the operation called [...]
Brazil's federal police have on Tuesday found a large amount of money hidden in an apartment allegedly used by one of President Michel Temer's former cabinet members. The seizure is the biggest in the country's history.
A photograph provided by police as part of the operation called “The Lost Treasure” showed the suitcases and cartons filled with 100-real and 50-real notes, the two largest banknote emissions in Brazil.
They also found a bag full of dollars. After counting the money overnight, police said the final number was 51 million real. $16.4 million).
Police said the apartment in Salvador, Bahia state capital, was allegedly used by Geddel Vieira Lima, an ally of President Temer and earlier senior liaison in Congress.
Vierira Lima resigned last year following charges of influence.
Tuesday's seizure comes weeks after lawmakers voted against the location of Temer on trial for corruption charges, which allowed his government to turn its attention to the economic reform agenda.
Vieira Lima was arrested in July, on suspicion that he tried to prevent investigations of the deviation of funds from a state bank and was then under house arrest.
Earlier Tuesday, federal police also searched the house and asked Brazil's Olympic Committee head about charges of bribery paid for the development of the 2016 Olympic Games.
