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Temer denies the accusation that he accepted money from J&F Investimentos, the parent company of Brazilian meat processor JBS controlled by the Batista brothers.
J&F Investimentos accepted an offer from Brazil’s federal prosecution office of a multi-billion euro fine to be paid back over more than two decades for corruption charges.
A Supreme court judge has received the charges against President Temer, according to reports, and is to decide whether the case can be sent to the lower house of parliament. The lower house has the authority to vote on whether or not Temer should be tried.
Secret tapes
While reports state that Temer is determined to prove his innocence, the case follows the release of damaging audio recordings of the President.
Secret tapes that emerged earlier this year contain recordings of Temer discussing bribes with JBS chair Joesley Batista. In the recorded conversation from March this year, Temer is alleged to have endorsed the payment of bribes to a former lawmaker who is now jailed.
Beef industry
Last week the USA banned all imports of fresh Brazilian beef due to safety concerns. A year-long investigation by Brazilian authorities known as Operation Weak Flesh revealed rotten or tainted meat was being sold by factories after bribes were paid to customs officials.
JBS, the world’s largest beef processor, has has also recently announced the sale of a number of assets, including Northern Ireland poultry processor Moy Park, in a bid to reduce the company's debt leverage. The company expects to raise €1.6bn from the sales.
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