Politics
17:49, 04-Aug-2017
Brazilian president may face new charges
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Brazil's Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot is preparing to bring a new charge against the president for obstruction of justice at the Supreme Court.
Janot's announcement accusing President Michel Temer of obstruction of justice came a day after the Chamber of Deputies dismissed corruption charges against the president on Wednesday.
According to a Brazilian television, the GloboNews, Janot has asked Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin to distinguish the charge of obstruction of justice from others of bribery involving executives of a Brazilian meat packing conglomerate, JBS.
Activists protest against President Michel Temer in front of the National Congress in Brasilia, on August 2, 2017. /AFP Photo
Activists protest against President Michel Temer in front of the National Congress in Brasilia, on August 2, 2017. /AFP Photo
Therefore, Janot can charge Temer and his associates solely of obstruction of justice.
According to the Prosecutor General, the investigation into JBS, which began in May, has revealed that Temer committed the crimes of passive corruption, illicit association, and obstruction of justice by buying the silence of public officials.
However, there may not be enough time for Janot to charge Temer for the illicit association because the prosecutor will step down from his position on September 17. Until then he has to focus entirely on the accusation of obstruction of justice.
In Wednesday's vote to dismiss the corruption charges against the president, government allies in the Chamber received 263 votes against 227 to reject the accusations, more than the one-third threshold of votes.
The placard shows the final vote count in the chamber of deputies denying authorization for the Supreme Court to judge President Michel Temer for corruption in Brasilia, on August 2, 2017. /AFP Photo
The placard shows the final vote count in the chamber of deputies denying authorization for the Supreme Court to judge President Michel Temer for corruption in Brasilia, on August 2, 2017. /AFP Photo
According to Brazilian law, the current result means Temer cannot be prosecuted on these corruption allegations again during his term in office.
However, since Janot on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to include Temer in the investigation into a conspiracy-based bribery by his Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) leadership, Temer is still being investigated.
If the Chief Prosecution Office decides to bring new charges against Temer, he will have to take the same old road once more.
(Source: Xinhua)
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