Brazil's Supreme Court approves probe into agriculture minister
Source: Reuters
#WORLD NEWS AUGUST 25, 2017 / 4:53 PM / AN HOUR AGO
Brazil's Supreme Court approves probe into agriculture minister
Reuters Staff
3 MIN READ
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazils Supreme Court justice on Friday opened a corruption investigation into the nations agriculture minister, Blairo Maggi, who is accused of leading a graft scheme when he served as governor of Mato Grosso state from 2003 to 2010.
In a separate development in a deepening corruption scandal, the countrys top prosecutor filed charges against four senators of the ruling Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) and its former president José Sarney.
Justice Luiz Fux approved the investigation request made by Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot, who alleges that Maggi, a billionaire who made his fortune as Brazils largest soy farmer, arranged for state lawmakers to be paid off to support his political agenda when he was governor.
Janots allegations are based on plea-bargain testimony made by Silval Barbosa, who served as Maggis vice governor from 2007 to 2010. Among the accusations, he alleged Maggi instructed his deputy to pay his campaign debts with public funds.
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