BRASILIA: Brazilian President Michel Temer denied allegations made by a billionaire business in a magazine interview published on Saturday that he led a corruption scheme in which politicians squeezed high-profile executives for bribes, and vowed to sue the businessman.

In a statement, Temer’s office said he will take “all appropriate actions” against billionaire businessman Joesley Batista, who told ?poca magazine 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.—Reuters