BRASILIA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A senior Brazilian government official said on Thursday the government is confident the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) will acquit President Michel Temer of any wrongdoing in the 2014 presidential elections.
The trial, which began its final stage on Tuesday, could result in the removal of Temer from office if he is found to have knowingly received illegal campaign fund during the 2014 election.
Temer was elected as vice-president in that election but assumed presidency in August 2016 after President Dilma Rousseff was impeached.
"The government has full confidence that the TSE will act according to the proof," the chief of staff of the government, Eliseu Padilha, stated.
Padilha also said he felt most of the judges on the court will reject the inclusion of confessions by executives from the construction company Odebrecht which gets involved in a series of bribery scandal.
"There is no need to worry. We are confident. But...we must also have respect for the decisions that will be taken by the TSE," Padilha added.
For his part, Rodrigo Maia, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and Temer's ally, said any decision by the court would be respected.
"A decision, whatever it may be, by the Supreme Court or the Supreme Electoral Court, must be respected," he said on Thursday.
Temer is facing a separate investigation for obstruction of justice and passive corruption by the Supreme Court after a tape was recently revealed in which the president could seemingly be heard approving the bribery of public officials.
