Reuters, BRASILIABrazilian President Michel Temer gave his blessing to an attempt to pay a potential witness to remain silent in the nation’s biggest-ever graft probe, according to plea bargain testimony by a powerful businessman, newspaper O Globo reported on Wednesday. Scattered protests sprang up in front of the presidential palace and along Sao Paulo’s main avenue as opposition lawmakers and even a high-profile ally called for Temer to step down. “Given the gravity of the situation and the responsibility to keep Brazil from plunging into the imponderable, the only option is for President Michel Temer to resign,” said Senator Ronaldo Caiado, leader of the government-allied Democratas party in the Senate. Batista used a hidden device to record an alleged discussion with Temer about hush money the executive was paying to Cunha, the report said. When Batista told Temer he was paying Cunha to remain silent, the president was recorded saying: “You need to keep that up, OK?” according to the newspaper.

Source: Taipei Times May 18, 2017 17:18 UTC