Brazil's top prosecutor charges Temer with corruption - document

[webfact]

Brazil's top prosecutor charges Temer with corruption - document

 

Brazilian President Michel Temer attends a credentials presentation ceremony for several new top diplomats at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil June 26, 2017. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

 

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's top federal prosecutor charged President Michel Temer on Monday with accepting bribes, the first of what is expected to be a series of graft allegations against the deeply unpopular leader in the coming weeks.

 

Prosecutor Rodrigo Janot delivered the charge to the Supreme Court and, under Brazilian law, the lower house of Congress must now vote on whether to allow the tribunal to try a sitting president.

 

Lawmakers within Temer's coalition are confident they have the votes to block the two-third majority required to proceed with a trial.

 

(Reporting by Ricardo Brito and Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Tatiana Bautzer; Editing by Daniel Flynn)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-27