Brazil’s attorney general asks for inquiry into education minister’s funding decisions

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro speaks with Milton Ribeiro all through a signing ceremony to authorise a income enhance for teachers, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil February 4, 2022. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Image

BRASILIA, Mar 23 (Reuters) – Brazil’s lawyer general on Wednesday questioned the Supreme Court docket to look into funding choices manufactured by the country’s training minister – a go which comes following media studies that some projects negotiated by two pastors have been offered priority.

The minister, Milton Ribeiro, denied any irregularities in the allocation of resources to municipal governments. Ribeiro also said he requested federal comptroller CGU very last calendar year to examine irregularities more than paying out selections.

The lawyer general’s office environment mentioned in a assertion that its request for a Supreme Court inquiry follows “the publication of news reviews pointing to the interference of two evangelical pastors in the (funding) system.”

Ribeiro reported in an interview with CNN Brazil before on Wednesday that he has provided to handle the allegations before lawmakers in Congress.

“I made myself available,” explained Ribeiro, referring to the latest phone calls with senior legislators. “And I questioned to go there to present clarification.”

On Monday, Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported that it had acquired an audio recording of Ribeiro conversing about how the authorities prioritized funding requests from local governments that ended up negotiated by two influential pastors.

Ribeiro was quoted as declaring that this sort of funding decisions aligned with the wishes of President Jair Bolsonaro.

Reuters has not been able to independently validate the report.

Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello Producing by Carolina Pulice Modifying by David Alire Garcia and Edwina Gibbs

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