Brazil's prosecutor-general plans new charges against President Temer

Brazil's Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot gestures during a seminar on combating corruption, in Brasilia, Brazil, June 19, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's prosecutor-general Rodrigo Janot is preparing to lodge a new charge for obstruction of justice against President Michel Temer at the Supreme Court.

This comes a day after the Chamber of Deputies dismissed a corruption charge against Temer filed by Janot.

According to the Globonews television on Thursday, Janot has asked Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin to separate obstruction of justice from other charges related to the bribery allegations made by executives of Brazilian meatpacking conglomerate, JBS.

This would allow Janot to charge Temer and his associates with the sole crime 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, obstruction of justice by buying the silence of public officials, and illicit association.

However, the expectation is that there will be no time for Janot to file another charge for illicit association before he steps down from his role on September 17, meaning he will focus entirely on obstruction of justice.

The Chamber of Deputies voted Wednesday to dismiss the passive corruption charges against the president. The opposition would have needed a two-thirds majority to force a trial and make Temer stand down for 180 days.