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In a notice to shareholders last week, JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company, announced that “seven executives of the company and its controlling entity, J&F Investimentos, entered into a plea bargain agreement with the federal public prosecutor’s office, which was ratified by the supreme court”.
The agreement included payment of a €62m fine and co-operation with prosecutors.
The office of the federal prosecutor has confirmed that the plea bargain deal concerned “violations of the economic order” and launched a probe into allegations including “bribes to parliamentarians and ex-parliamentarians”, money laundering and conspiracy. Prosecutors issued 41 search warrants and eight arrest warrants under the investigation.
On Sunday, they announced that they had requested assistance from the police in analysing audio recordings obtained under the agreement with J&F executives. The investigation covers “crimes allegedly committed by the President of the Republic, Michel Temer” and other politicians, the office of the federal prosecutor said in a statement.
The latest revelations come just two months after JBS employees were among those investigated under “Operation Weak Flesh,” a vast sweep of dozens of Brazilian meat factories that uncovered multiple alleged cases of hygiene and labelling fraud combined covered up by corrupt officials.
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