Brazilian Supreme Court Decides to Send Accusation Against President Temer to Congress

09/21/2017 - 10h31

On Wednesday, September 20, the majority of Brazil's Supreme Court (STF) voted in favor of sending the accusation made by the Prosecutor General's Office against President Michel Temer to the lower house of Congress.

The President is accused of obstructing justice and participating in a criminal organization.

With already seven votes in favor and one against, the final numbers are likely to come on Thursday, September 21, as the president of the Supreme Court, Cármen Lúcia, and Justices Marco Aurélio Mello and Celso de Mello will vote.

Seven members of the Supreme Court voted in favor of continuing proceedings as they stated that this is not the best moment to discuss the evidence in the JBS plea bargain, on which the Prosecutor General's Office based its accusation - the decision disregarded the request made by President Temer's defense.

Justice Gilmar Mendes was the only to vote against.

When the final decision is made, Justice Edson Fachin, the rapporteur of the case, intends to send the accusation to Justice Cármen Lúcia, who will send the case to the president of the lower house, Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ).

Proceedings will then be sent to the Commission of Constitution and Justice (CCJ), where the accusation will be voted again before following to a plenary sitting.

To authorize the Supreme Court to decide if it will receive the accusation to begin trial, 342 votes of the total 513 federal congressmen are necessary. Today the government has enough political power to block the accusation.

The decision to follow with proceedings was supported by Justices Fachin, Alexandre de Moraes, Luís Roberto Barroso, Rosa Weber, Luiz Fux, Dias Toffoli and Ricardo Lewandowski.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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	Pedro Ladeira/Folhapress
	The Supreme Court decides to send the accusation against president Michel Temer to the lower house of Congress