The secretary general of the PT, SÀ­lvio Pereira, has requested a leave of absence. He no longer is a member of the party’s National Executive Commission and has also left all his other posts in the party.

Pereira made the request in a letter to the PT president, José Genoí­no, explaining that he wishes to await the conclusion of investigations now underway in Congress.

In another letter to Genoí­no, Pereira said he wants to go before the party Ethics Commission to prove he is innocent of the accusations made against him.

According to deputy Roberto Jefferson, from the PTB party of Rio de Janeiro, (PTB-RJ), Pereira is the person responsible for placing people linked to the PT in positions of importance in state-run enterprises throughout the government.

Pereira has denied the charges and is supposed to testify before at least two congressional commissions.

ABr – www.radiobras.gov.br