Brazil's President denies report he approved "bribe payment"

Brazil’s President Michel Temer has rejected the allegations that he authorized hush money payment to keep politician Eduardo Cunha from testifying in connection with a massive corruption scandal at state oil firm Petrobras.

Recently, O Globo newspaper claimed that it has an audio recording of Temer discussing shady payments with a senior businessman, a revelation that brought the opposition and protesters to the streets in Sao Paulo and Brasilia, writes the BBC.

The embezzlement scandal at Petrobras has engulfed a number of top politicians and businessmen in the country but this is the first time where the president has been directly dragged into the rut. About a third of Temer’s cabinet is embroiled in the corruption but the president’s involvement comes as a big jolt for “the scandal-weary nation,” notes Al Jazeera.