Police find $ 16 million in the ex-minister's apartment

Brazil's federal police has found a large amount of hidden money Tuesday in an apartment suspected of being used by one of President Michel Cook's former cabinet members.

Confiscation is the largest in the country's history.

A photo provided by the police as part of the operation called "Lost Treasure" showed suitcases and cardboard boxes filled with 100-real and 50-real banknotes, the two largest banknote issue in Brazil.

They also found a bag full of dollars. After counting overnight money, police said the final number was 51 million real. ($ 16.4 million).
Police said the apartment in Salvador, Bahia state capital, was supposed to be used by Geddel Vieira Lima, an ally of President Temer and earlier senior liaison in Congress.
Vieira Lima resigned last year after allegations of influence.
Tuesday's confiscation comes a few weeks after lawmakers voted against putting Temer in court on corruption charges, which allowed his government to turn its attention to the economic reform agenda.
Vieira Lima was arrested in July, on suspicion that he tried to prevent investigations into the diversion of funds from a state bank and was then in house arrest.
Earlier on Tuesday, federal police also asked the house and asked the head of the Brazilian Olympic Committee about allegations of paid bribes for the 2016 Olympic Games.