RIO DE JANEIRO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government's institutional security division has installed an audio jamming device in the office of President Michel Temer, which will prevent anyone from using recording devices and prevent the leader from being recorded without knowing it, local media reported on Wednesday.
Known as a voice scrambler, this device was installed three weeks ago and emits sounds at a frequency which cannot be heard by the human ear but which interferes with the recording of ambient sound, including any conversations taking place in the president's office.
The news was published by TV station Globonews, which said other similar devices have been installed in ministries as well as in Jaburu Palace, Temer's residence.
It was in this residence that Joesley Batista, owner of meatpacking giant JBS, surreptitiously recorded a conversation with Temer, in which the president could seemingly be heard signing off on bribing public officials.
This recording was later turned over to prosecutors by Batista and was used by prosecutor-general Rodrigo Janot to press corruption charges against Temer.
This device is not the first security apparatus installed in the presidential office. In May, Temer received a telephone protected by encryption.
His predecessor, Dilma Rousseff, as well as key ministries and Brazilian companies, had been spied upon by U.S. intelligence agencies, through phones being tapped.
