MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Main shareholders of Brazil's largest meat processor charged with corruption have been released

The arrests were the latest blow to JBS’s controlling Batista family, which last year signed plea bargain agreements with prosecutors admitting to bribing of politicians

Brazil’s top appeals court has ordered the release of one of meat processor JBS’ controlling shareholders, Joesley Batista, and Ricardo Saud, a lawyer for J&F Investimentos, which controls JBS. Both were arrested on Friday in an investigation into illegal campaign contributions and alleged bribery of government officials.

Last week’s arrests were the latest blow to JBS’s controlling Batista family, which last year signed plea bargain agreements with prosecutors admitting to bribing scores of politicians to advance their business interests.

Neri Geller, who served as agriculture minister under former President Dilma Rousseff, was also arrested last week but released from jail earlier on Monday, according a decision posted on the court’s website. Rodrigo Figueiredo, who served as secretary for agriculture defense under Geller in 2014, was also freed from jail, the court said.