Brazilian anti-corruption minister becomes second member of interim government to quit

Fabiano Silveira, who was in charege of the Transparency Ministry, resigns over leaked recordings of coversations relating to a corruption probe

Ministerial workers take part in a protest demanding the resignation of Fabiano Silveira (Eraldo Peres/AP)

Brazil's new interim government has been hit with a new set-back - causing more headaches for acting President Michel Temer - with a second minister announcing their resignation.

Fabiano Silveira, who was in charge of the anti-corruption ministry, is the second member of the interim administration to leave in only 16 days because of leaked recorded conversations about the investigation into corruption at the state oil company Petrobras and the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

The new turmoil started when TV Globo broadcast a recording of Mr Silveira giving legal advice to the Senate president, who is under investigation for links to corruption at Petrobras. The recording also shows Mr Silveira criticising the investigation itself, which has implicated some of Brazil's most prominent politicians and businessmen.

In its report late Sunday, TV Globo claimed Mr Silveira had repeatedly contacted investigators in the Petrobras case to seek information on the accusations against Senate chief Renan Calheiros, but he did not succeed in getting any details. The conversation was recorded at Calheiros' residence some time before the Senate voted to suspend Ms Rousseff pending an impeachment trial and put the government in Mr Temer's hands.

Brazilian media had said Mr Temer met with Cabinet ministers on Monday afternoon and decided to keep Mr Silveira on the job for now, with Mr Silveira saying he was not involved in any wrongdoing. But later Mr Silveira sent a letter of resignation, saying it was best that he leave the job “despite the fact that nothing is hitting my behavior.”

Mr Temer did not announce any pick to succeed Mr Silveira.

According to the union for workers at the Transparency Ministry, about 200 officials of the anti-corruption body offered their resignations to protest Mr Temer's initial decision to keep Mr Silveira on the job. Earlier Monday, employees at the ministry blocked Mr Silveira from entering the building in the capital of Brasilia. They also staged a protest in which they cleaned the front doors of the building and his office.

The newspaper O Globo printed an extra editorial to demand Mr Silveira's resignation, echoing calls by allies of Ms Rousseff, who argues that her foes ousted her because she allowed the Petrobras investigation to go forward.

Another leaked recording forced Temer's planning minister to take a leave of absence last week. In that recording, Romero Juca appeared to suggest there should be “a pact” to impeach Ms Rousseff and appeared to link it to obstructing the Petrobras investigations. He denied any wrongdoing or intention to stop the investigations.

O Globo's editorial said that “Temer needs to apply the same rule that he applied to Juca: There can be no conspiracy against Operation Car Wash,” a reference to the Petrobras probe. “It is the only way that his public commitment to support the operation and to fight against corruption will be taken seriously.”

Associated Press