Lourenço Melo
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília - Vice president and minister of Defense, José Alencar, denied that he is thinking about leaving the PL because some members of the party are accused of receiving payoffs for voting with the government as part of the corruption scheme which has become known as the "mensalão" (big monthly allowance).

Alencar announced that he intends to attend a PL meeting today and declared that he is not aware of any plan to punish party members who received money.

Translator: Allen Bennett