Former Brazilian President Michel Temer arrested

On Thursday morning, agents of the Operation Car Wash task force in Rio de Janeiro arrested former President Michel Temer at his home in São Paulo. The Federal Police confirmed that the arrests are part of Operation Decontamination, which itself is an offshoot of three prior probes into corruption allegations at Eletronuclear, the state-owned Eletrobras subsidiary which operates nuclear power plants in the country.

Former Minister of Mines and Energy, Moreira Franco, has also been arrested, while a detention warrant has been issued for Colonel João Baptista Lima Filho, a close friend of Michel Temer and accused of being the broker of the corruption scheme in question.

According to G1.com, the operation is based on the testimony of José Antunes Sobrinho from construction company Engevix, responsible for works on the Angra 3 nuclear plant in Rio de Janeiro state. Mr. Sobrinho told the Federal Police he had paid a BRL 1.1 million bribe to Michel Temer, by way of Colonel Lima, in 2014.

The Federal Police stated that further investigation into Mr. Sobrinho’s testimony uncovered a vast corruption scheme in place within the nuclear power sector. Among the crimes cited by the investigators are corruption, money laundering, embezzlement, and obstruction of justice.

In his sentence ordering the arrest of Michel Temer, Moreira Franco, Colonel Lima, and five others, judge Marcelo...