Image provided by Brazil's Presidency shows Brazilian President Michel Temer attending a meeting with leaders of the allied base in the Chamber of Deputies, in Brasilia, Brazil, on June 28, 2017. Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin decided on Wednesday to send the charges against President Michel Temer straight to the Chamber of Deputies for a vote. (Xinhua/Marcos Correa/Presidency of Brazil)
BRASILIA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin decided on Wednesday to send the charges against President Michel Temer straight to the Chamber of Deputies for a vote.
The bribery charges, lodged on Monday by prosecutor-general Rodrigo Janot, will be received by Chamber of Deputies President Rodrigo Maia. The Chamber will then vote on whether the investigation should go ahead, needing a two-third majority for it to pass.
The Chamber of Deputies is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brizil with 513 deputies.
If the Chamber agrees for the process to continue, the case will return to the Supreme Court and both sides will have 15 days to present their cases.
The Congress is currently on its winter recess in August but can still meet for key topics and debates.
However, before any full vote is arranged, the charges will first be analyzed by the Chamber's Constitution and Justice Commission, which will prepare a report for the legislative body.
The charges presented by Janot are based on an investigation following a confession by Joesley Batista, owner of a meatpacking company JBS, who claimed Temer was taking bribery.
Furthermore, a key Temer advisor, Rodrigo Rocha Loures, was arrested after being caught on camera in April receiving a suitcase, containing 500,000 reais (160,000 U.S. dollars) from JBS, which was allegedly a bribe destined for Temer.
On top of the bribery charges, Janot is expected to lodge further charges against Temer for obstruction of justice and illicit association.
Temer has denied all the charges, saying he was the "victim of political infamy" and there was no evidence against him.
