Brazil plunged back into a political crisis reminiscent of lastyear's impeachment saga following reports that President MichelTemer was embroiled in an alleged cover-up scheme involving thejailed former speaker of the lower house of Congress.

One of the country's largest newspapers reported Wednesdayevening that a secret recording exists of Temer approving a paymentto Eduardo Cunha, the mastermind behind last year's impeachment offormer president Dilma Rousseff. The tape was submitted to theSupreme Court by two senior executives from meat-packing giant JBSSA as part of a plea bargain deal, in which information is offeredin exchange for reduced sentences, according to O Globo newspaper.The paper provided neither a transcript nor a recording.

The presidential press office vehemently denied the allegations.“President Michel Temer never requested payments to obtain thesilence of ex-deputy Eduardo Cunha,” according to a statement. “Thepresident defends a deep and wide investigation to get to thebottom of the claims put forward in the media.” Both JBS and itsholding company, J&F, declined to comment.