On 22 May, Brazil’s Mines and Energy Minister Silas Rodenau resigned after the federal police accused him of being involved in a corruption scandal involving a construction company, reports the Financial Times. The following week, news magazine Veja* accused the leader of the senate Renan Calheiros of accepting bribes from one of Brazil’s largest construction companies, Mendes Junior. The International Herald Tribune specified that the magazine did not name its sources.

The accusations against Mr Rodenau were the culmination of a year-long investigation called Operation Razor, which led to the arrests of 48 people including civil servants, a mayor and the former governor of the state of Maranhão.

According to ANSA, police evidence shows that Mr Rodenau accepted bribes amounting to US $50,000 in order to ensure that a public contract would be awarded to construction company Gautama.

Mr Rodenau has denied the graft allegations, reaffirming his “complete and absolute innocence in relation to the accusations levied against [him]”, writes the International Herald Tribune. Similarly, Mr Calheiros has denied any wrongdoing, rejecting the magazine’s accusation of “receiv[ing] any illegal or clandestine funds from any company or businessman.”

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