Brasilia — A former Brazilian cabinet minister and close aide of President Michel Temer was arrested by federal police on Monday, in yet another sign of the country’s political volatility. Geddel Vieira Lima was detained on suspicion that he tried to obstruct investigations into the deviation of funds from the state-run bank, Caixa Economica Federal, according to a statement by the public prosecutor’s office. The government’s ex-chief liaison with congress knows he is innocent and trusts the judiciary, a lawyer for Vieira Lima wrote in a statement. The arrest of the former minister, who resigned in November last year following allegations of influence trafficking, adds to the turbulence in Brasilia. It comes just hours after Temer decided to attend the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Germany this week, reversing plans to stay in Brazil to deal with the political crisis, including his own defence against charges of bribe-taking. Over the next few days, the senate is also due to vote on ...
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