Auditors reject Brazil president’s budgetary accounts

A Brazilian audit court has ruled that President Dilma Rousseff broke the law in managing last year’s budget. The government was accused of borrowing money illegally from state banks to make up for budget shortfalls. The opposition says the ruling by the Federal Accounts Court – which reports to Congress – paves the way for […]

A Brazilian audit court has ruled that President Dilma Rousseff broke the law in managing last year’s budget.
The government was accused of borrowing money illegally from state banks to make up for budget shortfalls.
The opposition says the ruling by the Federal Accounts Court – which reports to Congress – paves the way for impeachment proceedings against Ms Rousseff.
She was re-elected less than a year ago but has record low popularity ratings.
The Brazilian government says it would challenge Wednesday’s ruling in the Supreme Court.
“The game is not over,” said Attorney General Luis Adams.
The minister who handled the case in the Accounts Court, Augusto Nardes, said the government disregarded fiscal and constitutional principles in the handling of the 2014 accounts.
Ms Rousseff’s government raised spending “without fiscal sustainability and without the required transparency”, said Mr Nardes.
The irregularities amount to more than $26bn, the court said.