Brazil’s top federal prosecutor has charged President Michel Temer with accepting bribes, the first of what is expected to be a series of formal graft charges against the deeply unpopular leader in the coming weeks.
Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot delivered the charges to the Supreme Court on Monday, marking a stinging blow to Temer and the first time the public prosecutor has presented charges against a sitting Brazilian president.
Under Brazilian law, the lower house of Congress must now vote on whether to allow the tribunal to try the conservative leader, who replaced impeached leftist President Dilma Rousseff just last year.
Lawmakers within Temer’s coalition are confident they have the votes to block the two-third majority required to proceed with a trial. But they warn that support may wane if congressmen are forced to vote several times to protect Temer – whose popularity is languishing in single-digits – from trial.
Temer’s office and his lawyer, Antonio Mariz, did not respond to requests for comment. Temer has repeatedly said he is innocent of any wrongdoing…
Source: Brazil’s president charged with corruption | SBS News
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