Brasília - Yesterday the Federal Police formally charged (indiciou) former minister of Finance, Antonio Palocci, with breaking bank secrecy laws (quebra de sigilo funcional). Palocci is charged with illegally obtaining information about a bank account belonging to a caretaker-gardener who contradicted congressional testimony made by Palocci when he was minister of Finance. According to José Batochio, Palocci's lawyer, the former minister denied giving the order to break into the caretaker's bank account.

Translation: Allen Bennett