体坛英语新闻：Brazil' s Sports Minister denies embezzlement accusations, asks for full investigation

RIO D JANEIRO, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Brazil' s Sports Minister Orlando Silva requested on Monday that the Attorney General office investigates the accusations of corruption against him featured in this week' s edition of news magazine Veja.

According to Veja, Minister Silva is involved in a scheme to embezzle ministry funds. The funds supposedly embezzled were destined to partnerships with NGOs, as part of a program to encourage the practice of sports in the country.

The scheme resulted in the embezzlement of some 40 million reais (22.8 million U.S. dollars) in eight years, Veja said. According to the magazine, several members of the Communist Party of Brazil (PC do B), to which Minister Silva is affiliated, participated in the scheme as well.

Minister Silva denied all accusations and said that he is available to fully collaborate with the investigations. He offered to disclose his bank and phone records to the investigators.

"Let it be clear that these accusations are nothing more than lies and slander, made by a citizen who is being prosecuted by the courts," he said.

Veja' s source is Joao Dias Ferreira, a former PC do B militant and former policeman. He was arrested last year as the police uncovered a scheme of embezzlement of Sports Ministry funds.

In a released statement, the Sports Ministry said that Ferreira received governmental funds through two NGOs to carry out a program to encourage sports practice. As the program was not carried out, the Ministry suspended Ferreira' s funds and demanded in the court that he returns the money received.

According to the ministry, Ferreira' s troubles with the courts are the reason he is accusing Minister Silva of participating in an embezzling scheme.