Senate President faces corruption trial

The president of the Brazilian senate is to be tried for alleged corruption, the country’s supreme court has ruled. Renan Calheiros, a major ally of President Michel Temer, is accused of misappropriating public funds in a case dating back to 2007. He was forced to resign as senate leader at the time, but was re-elected […]

The president of the Brazilian senate is to be tried for alleged corruption, the country’s supreme court has ruled.
Renan Calheiros, a major ally of President Michel Temer, is accused of misappropriating public funds in a case dating back to 2007.

He was forced to resign as senate leader at the time, but was re-elected six years later. He denies wrongdoing.

Mr Calheiros, 61, is being investigated separately in the huge corruption case involving the Petrobras oil company.
Mr Temer took over the presidency in August, when an impeachment vote found his predecessor Dilma Rousseff guilty of breaking budget laws.

He has vowed to clean up Brazilian politics, but has lost three ministers to corruption allegations.