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The Brazilian President Michel Temer has denied allegations that he led a corruption scheme in which politicians squeezed high-profile executives for bribes.
Temer says he will sue the billionaire businessman Joesley Batista for making the accusations in a magazine interview published on Saturday.
Brazil's Temer Denies Espionage Allegations as Scandals Pile Up
In a statement, the president's office said he will take "all appropriate actions" against Batista, who alleged in the publication Época that the 77-year-old politician has run a bribe-for-favors scheme at the government since 2010.
The statement said that Temer's lawyers will file civil and criminal lawsuits against Batista as early as Monday.
In his first interview since striking a leniency agreement with Brazilian prosecutors, Batista claimed in Época that Temer asked for money several times since 2010, as he led a group of senior politicians regularly demanding kickbacks in exchange for political favors.
Reuters news agency says media representatives for Batista and his family's investment holding company, J&F Investimentos SA, were not immediately available for comment.
Temer has faced a barrage of allegations in recent months.
Last week, he was acquitted of acquitted of financial irregularities in the 2014 election campaign.
Within 24 hours, Temer was denying more allegations.
This time in relation to an article in Veja magazine.
It alleged that the country's secret security service, known as Abin, spied on the judge in charge of cases resulting from corruption probes, namely Operation Car Wash.
Dozens of politicians are being probed over bribery claims linked to the state-run oil company Petrobras.
Brazil's Supreme Federal Court urged a thorough investigation into the report, if it was substantiated.
Temer's office denied the allegation, saying Abin "acts in accordance with the purpose for which it has been created."
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