Fifth Minister About to Fall Due to Corruption

Just a little bit of graft

Some ten months after taking office, President Dilma Rousseff should soon receive a fifth Minister’s resignation due to allegations of corruption. The Minister of Sport, Orlando Silva, from the PCdoB (Communist Party of Brazil), is under scrutiny for his role in a corruption scheme whereby NGOs received contracts from the Ministry in return for kickbacks averaging 20%. The kickbacks were then funneled into party coffers. The Comptroller General of Brazil has mandated that NGOs pay back approximately R$50 million (about $30 million U.S.) of public money.

Since the beginning of 2011 corruption-linked resignations have taken place within the ministries of Transport and Infrastructure, Tourism, Agriculture, and the Chief of Staff’s Office. Once again, rent-seeking by parties holding ministerial portfolios is the cost Brazil’s presidents have had to pay to keep a majority coalition together in Congress. It appears that Rousseff is no longer willing to accept this situation– more power to her.

Details to follow.