Brazilian Sports Minister Orlando Silva resigned
on Wednesday after becoming embroiled in allegations of corruption in
the host country of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.
Silva, who has become the sixth Minister to leave
President Dilma Rousseff’s coalition since June, insisted he was
stepping down to avoid causing further damage to the government. He has
already told a congressional panel that he denies accusations of
accepting illegal payments linked to projects for social sports
programs. However, on Tuesday Brazil’s Supreme Court announced it had
opened an investigation into Silva, who had a key role in overseeing
preparations for the World Cup and Olympics.
“I submitted my resignation,” Silva told reporters after a meeting with Rousseff. “I decided to leave the government so that I can defend my honour.” Rousseff is expected to allow the Communist Party to nominate a replacement for Silva from within its own ranks and, according to Reuters, Senator Aldo Rebelo, a former Minister of Institutional Relations who has been a vocal critic of apparent corruption in Brazilian football, is the most likely replacement.
Silva, who was appointed to the role by previous President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2006, flew back from the Pan American Games in Mexico last week to defend his reputation against the allegations after they emerged in news magazine Veja. FIFA has previously raised concerns about the rate of preparations for the 2014 World Cup, with airport construction work a particular area of worry.
However, the president of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics organising committee, Carlos Nuzman, played down the impact of the scandal involving Silva on preparations for the Games in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday. “What is important is that we have the support of President Dilma Rousseff,” Nuzman said.
“I submitted my resignation,” Silva told reporters after a meeting with Rousseff. “I decided to leave the government so that I can defend my honour.” Rousseff is expected to allow the Communist Party to nominate a replacement for Silva from within its own ranks and, according to Reuters, Senator Aldo Rebelo, a former Minister of Institutional Relations who has been a vocal critic of apparent corruption in Brazilian football, is the most likely replacement.
Silva, who was appointed to the role by previous President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2006, flew back from the Pan American Games in Mexico last week to defend his reputation against the allegations after they emerged in news magazine Veja. FIFA has previously raised concerns about the rate of preparations for the 2014 World Cup, with airport construction work a particular area of worry.
However, the president of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics organising committee, Carlos Nuzman, played down the impact of the scandal involving Silva on preparations for the Games in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday. “What is important is that we have the support of President Dilma Rousseff,” Nuzman said.
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