Brazil’s Temer not to step down even if indicted

Brazilian President Michel Temer, who is facing growing calls for resignation amid a corruption scandal, says he will not step down even if he is formally indicted by the Supreme Court.

Brazilians, who have become inured to the massive, three-year corruption investigation, were shocked last week by the disclosure of a recording that appeared to show Temer condoning the payment of hush money to a jailed lawmaker.

The Supreme Court has opened an investigation into the revelations that were part of plea bargain testimony by the billionaire owners of meatpacking giant JBS SA.

The court is expected to decide on Wednesday whether to suspend the investigation at Temer's request until it can be determined if the recording was manipulated to implicate him.

"I will not resign. Oust me if you want, but if I stepped down, I would be admitting guilt," said Temer in an interview in the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper.

Temer has said the recording of his meeting with JBS chairman Joesley Batista was doctored.

The scandal has threatened to tear apart Temer's coalition in Congress and leave Latin America's largest economy adrift as the president fights for his political survival, just a year after the impeachment of his predecessor.

Temer told the newspaper he is "absolutely" sure that he is capable of finishing his term through the end of 2018 without giving up on his legislative agenda, which includes an ambitious overhaul of the country's labor and social security regulations.

His coalition had already been struggling to muster the votes for the unpopular social security reform. Financial markets, which had largely anticipated approval of the reforms, slumped last week when the scandal broke.

SS