巴西总统特梅尔否认一家报纸所报道的,他在一项行贿调查中支持向一名入狱的国会议员支付封口费。
巴西《环球报》星期三发表的报道是基于巴西商人若埃斯利·巴蒂斯塔今年3月录下的与特梅尔交谈时的录音。
这篇报道说,当时巴蒂斯塔告诉总统说,他将向入狱的前众议院议长库尼亚支付封口费,让他保持沉默。特梅尔回应道,“你一定要继续那样做,知道吗?”
来自特梅尔总统办公室的一份声明证实,总统曾经会晤巴蒂斯塔,但是表示他从来没有索求支付封口费。
库尼亚去年领导了废黜前总统罗塞夫的弹劾案,并使得特梅尔上台。
库尼亚后来因为挪用公款的腐败丑闻而被判15年徒刑,他曾表示他可能供出其他人。
星期三的报道引发一些要求特梅尔总统辞职的呼声,以及在圣保罗的抗议活动。
Brazilian President Michel Temer has denied a newspaper report that said he endorsed paying a jailed former congressman to remain silent in a bribery investigation.
The O Globo newspaper published a story Wednesday it said was based on a secret recording made during a meeting between Michel Temer and businessman Joesley Batista.
The report said that when Batista told the president he was paying former Speaker of the House Eduardo Cunha to keep quiet, Temer responded, “You have to keep that up, all right?”
A statement from Temer’s office confirmed that he met with Batista, but said he never solicited payments.
Cunha led the impeachment fight that ousted former President Dilma Rousseff last year and brought Temer to power.
Cunha was later imprisoned on a 15-year sentence for corruption in an embezzlement scandal involving the state-owned Petrobras oil company, and has indicated he could implicate others.
Wednesday’s report brought some calls for Temer’s resignation as well as protests in Sao Paolo.