April 5 (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian central bank President Henrique Meirelles may be tried by the Supreme Court on charges introduced by the prosecutor general of illegal international money transfers and tax evasion, O Globo newswire reported.

Celso Fontao Junior, a spokesman for the Supreme Court, contacted by Bloomberg News, confirmed that Prosecutor General Claudio Fonteles filed a request with the court for an investigation into Meirelles. The spokesman declined to say what charges the prosecutor presented.

In July, the prosecutor general's office said it was investigating Meirelles, 59, on allegations of tax evasion and failure to disclose deposits in accounts outside of Brazil. Phone calls tonight to the Prosecutor General's office went unanswered.

The central bank said in a statement today that Meirelles, who took over as bank president in 2003, ``reiterates the total legality and probity of all of his acts, both in his long career in the private sector and in the public sector.''

The Supreme Court will decide whether the prosecutor's general's request for an investigation is valid. If the court decides the request is valid, it will order the pertinent institutions, such as the tax agency and federal police, to conduct an investigation. The court's ministers would then vote on the findings of that investigation to determine whether Meirelles is guilty or innocent, Fontao said.

In August, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva granted Meirelles the status of cabinet minister, a move that analysts such as Marcelo Allain at the University of Sao Paulo said sought to insulate Meirelles from prosecution. Monetary Policy Director Luiz Augusto Candiota quit in July amid accusations he didn't report transactions overseas in 2002. Candiota denied any wrongdoing.

To contact the reporter on this story: Katia Cortes in Brasilia at kcortes@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: April 5, 2005 20:28 EDT