BRASILIA, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's bar association on Thursday formerly presented an impeachment request against President Michel Temer to the Chamber of Deputies.
The president of the Order of Lawyers (OAB), Claudio Lamachia, accused Temer of hiding from authorities various crimes mentioned by JBS owner Joesley Batista during a conversation the latter recorded, including bribing judges, a prosecutor and former Speaker Eduardo Cunha.
The association also accuses Temer of acting in a manner incompatible with his position by having received a business executive in private to discuss matters of special interest to JBS.
The impeachment request was approved by 25 of OAB's 27 councilors last week.
This takes the number of impeachment requests filed against Temer to at least 15, although the embattled president has maintained he will not resign and that he has done nothing wrong.
The OAB suggested that Congress should call five witnesses to investigate the accusations against Temer.
Lamachia dismissed Temer's claim that the recording had been doctoring was irrelevant, as it changed nothing to the illegality of Temer being made aware of crimes and failing to report them.
"This is a fact that has become undisputable. Even if there was some change, interference with the recording, the president did not deny the meeting took place in three press interviews," he explained.
The opening of an impeachment trial into Temer depends on the approval of Speaker Rodrigo Maia, who has said he will not take this decision quickly and that he refused to further destabilize the country.
Since Temer has no vice-president, Maia would be next in line to assume office.
