BRASILIA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian meatpacking group, JBS, had paid monthly bribes to around 200 agricultural inspectors for several years, according to documents turned over by its executives during a corruption investigation.
On Thursday, financial daily Valor Economico published that these monthly payments were worth up to 20,000 reais (6,000 U.S. dollars) for each agricultural inspector who had been "bought" in exchange for flexibility in the application of sanitary norms.
A list of all those involved will be sent to Brazil's prosecutor-general within 60 days, as part of the cooperation agreement signed by Wesley Batista, one of the owners of JBS.
In his statement, Batista admitted that the payment of bribes had been a regular practice to gain the favors of federal inspectors during their inspections of the company's facilities.
On March 17, the federal police launched Operation Weak Flesh, which revealed systematic violations of sanitary regulations by the country's largest meatpacking company, including the sale of meat past its sell-by date.
JBS, the largest meatpacking company in the world, saw around 60 of its production facilities found in violation of regulations.
