Pele sacks ministry staff

Pele sacks ministry staff

BRASILIA (Reuter): Pele has dismissed 12 employees at his Brazilian sports ministry on suspicion of corruption.

"It's a great shame that this had to happen, especially during the holiday season but I believe I came here to do an honest job and defend as much as I can taxpayers' money," sports minister Pele told national CBN Radio on Friday.

The ministry said in a statement that the president of the National Institutes for Sports Development, Asfilofio de Oliveira Filho, and 11 other staff members had been dismissed after an audit showed evidence of irregularities.

Should any of the 12 be found innocent in an inquiry, which will include a police investigation, they would be reinstated, the statement added.