BRAZIL: JBS Plea-bargain Deal Is Under Investigation, Could Be Extinguished

(RTTNews) - Brazilian Attorney General Rodrigo Janot will investigate the plea-bargain deal of JBS amid recent evidence pointing that a former public prosecutor guided the owners of the company through the negotiations while working for the attorney-general office.

According to Janot, Marcelo Miller left his post as a federal prosecutor in April, after requesting his dismissal in February. Right after that, Miller presented himself as a partner of the Trench, Rossi, and Watanabe law firm, which was the first to work on a plea bargain deal between the attorney-general office and J&F - the holding that controls JBS.

However, the authorities had access to an audio recording of a conversation between Joesley Batista and Ricardo Saud, both from JBS, where they discuss how Miller was helping the company to strike a deal with public prosecutors.

The audio dates from mid-March - before Miller left his post as a federal prosecutor and also before any formal attempt by JBS to reach a plea-bargain deal with the attorney general office.

At a press conference Monday, the prosecutor added that if any unlawfulness is proven, "the plea-bargain deal agreement will be terminated," but that would not invalidate the evidence offered so far.

"Under the legislation that disciplines plea-bargain deals, if the collaborator's guilt prompts the end of the agreement. He loses all or some of the benefits, and the State takes advantage of all the evidence submitted," the prosecutor said.