MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian head of Senate Sarney requests investigation into his accounts

Former president Jose Sarney ever more involved in a corruption scandal

The head of the Brazilian senate and former president (1985/1990), Jose Sarney said he would formally request the Attorney General’s office to investigate the existence of an alleged secret bank account overseas under his name.

Senator Sarney has been for months is in the middle of a growing scandal of corruption, patronizing, embezzlement and nepotism and last week end was accused by the magazine Veja of having funds stashed away in a foreign secret account.

“I’m granting all powers and authorizations so that the Attorney General can request international financial institutions all the necessary information about secret accounts in overseas banks to my name, now or in the past, as well as any other assets such as shares, investments or properties”, pointed out Sarney.

According to the Sao Paulo magazine Veja, Sarney has an overseas account with 870.000 US dollars thanks to his friendship with former banker Edemar Cid Ferreira, who was owner of the failed Banco Santos.

The head of the Senate and chairman of the Conservative Movement for Brazilian Democracy Party, PMDB holds a post which is crucial for the ruling coalition of President Lula da Silva in Congress who has repeatedly asked the Workers Party’s, WP, legislators to abstain from attacking the Senator.

But the WP legislators ignored President Lula da Silva’s instructions and requested that Senator Sarney take a forced absence of 30 days. However the party’s chairman Deputy Ricardo Berzoni warned that is was essential to support Senator Sarney to consolidate the ruling coalition candidacy of cabinet chief Dilma Rousseff for next year’s presidential election.

“We must concentrate in continuing to rule Brazil with the PMDB as an ally”, said Deputy Jose Genoino. “Supporting Sarney is a way of keeping the WP in power”, he insisted.

The congressional opposition is demanding the resignation of Senator Sarney so one of its members from the Brazilian Social Democracy party takes over the post of head of the Senate which would thwart Lula da Silva’s remaining mandate and his chances to catapult Ms Rousseff as his successor.