The latest allegations follow the possible implication of 175 deputies and senators, a staggering 30 percent, of Brazil’s entire National Congress.

Brazil’s acting President Michel Temer allegedly received a bribe of US$296,000 that Engevix company owner Jose Antunes Sobrinho paid through intermediaries, Brazilian magazine Epoca reported Saturday.

The report cited allegations by the executive in efforts to secure a plea bargain with federal authorities.

In his proposed plea bargain, Antunes alleges that Joao Batista Lima, owner of the Sao Paulo-based architecture firm Argeplan and a close friend of Temer, had received work contracts in exchange for granting bribes to the current Brazilian head-of-state.

Lima, a former military police colonel, has repeatedly been accused of being the “key person involved in the dirty work” between companies and PMDB politicians.

If his plea bargain request is granted, Antunes says that he can prove Temer received a bribe of US$296,000 in exchange for a construction contract that was awarded to Argeplan to build the Angra III nuclear-generation unit, which forms part of Brazil’s sole nuclear power plant.

Police detained José Antunes Sobrinho, a partner of construction company Engevix, for allegedly bribing officials of Eletronuclear, the nuclear-generation unit of Eletrobras, to win contracts.

The latest allegations follow the possible implication of 175 deputies and senators, a staggering 30 percent, of Brazil’s entire National Congress.