Brazil sports minister resigns amid corruption claims

Brazil's sports minister Orlando Silva resigned on Wednesday amid corruption allegations accusing him of participating in unlawful payment projects.

Silva, who was responsible for organising the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, maintains his innocence claiming that his resignation was not linked to corruption, but rather an effort to avoid the impending political turmoil of his government.

He is the sixth member forced to leave parliamentary office since June. After an emergency meeting with Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, Silva announced: "I submitted my resignation. I decided to leave the government so that I can defend my honour."

Silva has come under close scrutiny recently with a number of people accusing the minister of his participation in kickback schemes linked to Brazil's social sports projects.

Brazilian magazine Veja cited police officer Joao Dias Ferreira, who runs a non-profit youth project, as saying unlawful payments were delivered to the minister so that the non-profit initiative could receive government money.

Silva denies any allegations of wrong-doing, insisting the accusations are in retaliation towards an investigation he conducted on the Dias groups' distribution of money.

Gil Castello Blanco, a spokesperson for the watchdog group Contas Abertas, maintained that Silva's departure would not mar the upcoming preparations for the World Cup and Olympics.

"I don't think it (Silva's resignation) will have any effect on the preparations for our two mega-events, the World Cup and the Olympics. Silva is more of a figurehead. The preparations will go ahead without him," Blanc said.

Silva's exit comes not long after the ministers for agriculture, tourism, transport and defence were forced out of position following similar irregularities and suspicions.



Soccerway