Portuguese companies tried to corrupt the Brazilian government (moved from ATSNN)

www.forbes.com
LISBON (AFX) - Discussions in January between Portugal Telecom SGPS and two Brazilian political parties, the ruling PT Workers Party and a junior coalition member the PTB, involved a proposed payment of 100 mln reals (35 mln eur), Folha de Sao Paulo reported.

Citing Roberto Jefferson, the MP whose revelations started the Brazilian illicit payments scandal, told the newspaper that the contacts by PT and PTB were with Portugal Telecom, Banco Espirito Santo and Antonio Mexia, public works minister at the time of the meeting in January.

'The operation involved Portugal Telecom and Banco Espirito Santo, one of the company's main shareholders, and would have supplied 100 mln reals to the PT and PTB, but finally was not carried out,' the Brazilian daily said.

Jefferson said the trip to Portugal was not connected with PT's possible purchase of Telemig Celular as reported yesterday, but was related to information abut the transfer of 600 mln usd from state body the Instituto de Resseguros do Brasil to a UK bank via BES, according to the report.

PT and PTB would have received about 100 mln reals from BES in exchange for information, Folha de Sao Paulo reported, according to Jornal de Negocios Online.

Portugal Telecom last night admitted that it had contacts with Brazilian businessman Marcos Valerio, but denied the contacts had the aim of financing Brazilian political parties.

The company said in a statement that the contacts took place at the request of Valerio and related to the possible acquisition of Telemig, a rival Brazilian mobile telephone network operator.


Please visit the link provided for the complete story.