"I did not authorize off-the-books payments to anyone."

247 - President-elect Dilma Rousseff denied this Friday morning, the 22nd, in a telephone interview with Rádio Jornal, in Recife, having authorized any off-the-books payments in her presidential campaign.

Dilma stated that the accusations made to Judge Sérgio Moro this Thursday, the 21st, in a plea bargain by advertising executive João Santana and his wife, Mônica Moura, that the US$4,5 million payment made by engineer Zwi Skornick was from an undeclared campaign fund for Dilma Rousseff's presidential campaign in 2010, do not concern her.

"I did not authorize any off-the-books payments to anyone. On the contrary, in my campaign I always tried to pay the amount I felt I owed. If there were any payments, it was not with my knowledge," Dilma retorted.

Commenting on the impeachment vote in the Senate, which is expected to take place at the end of August, Dilma said that "six senators are needed to prevent [the removal from office]." "I continue fighting to prevent the impeachment," she said. "In a democracy, it is fundamental that votes are respected. My fight is not only about my mandate, but about defending democracy in Brazil," she added.

She denied that, during her administration, she had "touched the worker's pocket." "What was done were corrections to some benefits," a "review" so that people who shouldn't receive the benefit would stop receiving it. "But of course there are complaints, because there are losses," she commented. "Today, when they review the programs, they end them, they don't improve them," Dilma compared, citing Michel Temer's government.

In the interview, the president also reiterated her praise for the interim Finance Minister, Henrique Meirelles. "I see no flaws in Henrique Meirelles. He is capable and competent," she declared. Recently, these compliments to Meirelles have been interpreted as a sign that he will remain in his position should Dilma return to office.

Listen to the full interview: