Brazil's ex-education minister under arrest for alleged corruption
SAO PAULO, (Reuters) - Brazil's former Education Minister Milton Ribeiro has been arrested by the Federal Police on corruption charges, President Jair Bolsonaro confirmed yesterday, saying the former aide will answer for his actions if he has done anything wrong.
"If he is innocent, no problem. If he is guilty, he will pay," Bolsonaro said in an interview with local news outlet Radio Itatiaia.
"The government is collaborating with the investigation. We don't condone any of this," the right-wing leader said.
According to a source at the Federal Police, Ribeiro was one of the targets of arrest warrants as part of the operation "Access Paid," aimed at investigating corruption and influence peddling for the release of public funds from the National Fund for Education Development (FNDE), linked to the Education Ministry.
Police said their investigations uncovered "possible evidence of criminal practice for the release of public funds," in a statement on Wednesday.
Ribeiro had resigned from his position in late March on allegations that he gave preferential treatment to two pastors for educational funding in return for bribes.
This made Ribeiro the third education minister to leave the position during Bolsonaro's administration, who
ran his previous election campaign - as well as his current reelection one - on promises to curb corruption in South America's largest nation.
In total, 13 search and seizure warrants and five arrest warrants were served in the states of Goias, Sao Paulo, Para, and capital Brasilia.
The investigation is looking into crimes such as influence peddling, passive corruption, prevarication and abuse of authority.
Local media said an evangelical pastor linked to Bolsonaro was also arrested in the police operation on Wednesday.