Defense asks court to put off Temer's statement

President Michel Temer's defense today (May 31) asked Justice Edson Fachin—the judge in charge of the Car Wash corruption probe in the Supreme Court—to put off Temer's statement to the Federal Police until the expert examination of the recording of his conversation with meatpacking mogul Joesley Batista has been completed. This has been the defense's second attempt to postpone Temer's statement.

The president was placed under investigation after JBS meatpacking giant executives implicated him in their plea bargaining testimony, corroborating details of the recorded conversation which, according to prosecutors, incriminate the president.

Yesterday, Fachin authorized Federal Police to send written questions to the president—who must answer within 24 hours of receipt. In case Fachin does not agree to defer the president's statement, the defense are asking him to veto any questions related to the tape, since the recording is being questioned.

“In addition to incurable formal unlawfulness, which will be pointed out in due course, the contents of the evidence orchestrated by said business executive was clearly manipulated,” Temer's lawyers maintained in yet another attempt to disqualify the recording.

The recording lasts about 40 minutes. It shows Temer and Batista talking about the political and economic scenario and the standing of former deputy and former speaker Eduardo Cunha, who was jailed over the Car Wash scandal.

Translated by Mayra Borges