Brazil's Prosecutor General plans new charges against President Temer
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 the GloboNews, a 24-hour news channel on Brazilian television, 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 meatpacking conglomerate, JBS.
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 charges, more than the one-third threshold of votes.
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.