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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Brazil's federal police filed a report Wednesday demanding corruption charges against unpopular President Michel Temer, which could lead to his suspension.
According to the report, an investigation would have found that Temer had pocketed about $ 300,000 in bribes from construction giant Odebrecht, which is at the heart of a regional corruption scandal.
Temer survived two previous attempts to load it. He has already denied any wrongdoing in the case.
Brazil's high court said it has received the report, which will be sent to Attorney General Raquel Dodge, who will decide whether Temer should be charged for the third time since taking office in 2016.
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Dodge was named by Temer. The two previous charges were brought by one of his opponents, former Attorney General Rodrigo Janot.
If Dodge chooses to proceed, two-thirds of the Chamber of Deputies will have to vote to suspend Temer and judge him. The body twice rejected the previous charges against him.
Temer's term ends on December 31, fulfilling the mandate of Dilma Rousseff, accused of mismanagement of federal finances.
Temer's popularity rating has been one-digit since last year and he has decided not to seek a new term in the October national elections.
On Tuesday, Brazilian prosecutors asked a judge to approve the charges against Conservative presidential candidate Geraldo Alckmin. They accuse the former governor of Sao Paulo of receiving illegal contributions from Odebrecht for $ 2.5 million when he was elected in 2014.
Alckmin, who fought in the polls, denies any reprehensible act. His lawyers called the charge "noise from an attorney" before the presidential election.
Investigators from the Sao Paulo state prosecutor's office said that Alckmin's political rights should be suspended, but it is unlikely to happen before the elections.
The same prosecutor's office also prosecuted another presidential candidate, Fernando Haddad, of the Workers' Party.
Haddad is expected to take the place of party presidential candidate for imprisoned former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was barred from appearing before Brazil's highest election court on Saturday.
Da Silva dominated opinion polls despite his conviction for corruption and money laundering. He denies any reprehensible act.
Mr. Haddad, who is currently running for president of the Workers' Party, said during a campaign in Sao Paulo that the party would appeal the decision of the Electoral Tribunal to the Supreme Court of Brazil. The party has only Tuesday to replace Da Silva as a presidential candidate.
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Associated Press reporter Victor Caivano in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.
