O Globo hears Marcos Catão about including the president in active debt due to fines received

Newspaper report O Globo showed that President Jair Bolsonaro owes more than R$80,000 in fines for not wearing a mask. Dr. Marcos Catão was heard to comment on the president's inclusion in the list of debtors.

Jair Bolsonaro owes more than R$80,000 in fines for not wearing a mask

President was registered in Maranhão's active debt for not paying punishment. In São Paulo, penalties exceed R$ 3 thousand

Gustavo Schmitt and Sérgio Roxo

Photo: Isac Nóbrega/PR

10/23/2021

SÃO PAULO — The habit of traveling around the country without a mask and promoting crowds even at critical moments of the Covid-19 pandemic could weigh heavily on President Jair Bolsonaro's pocket. Maranhão has already included him in the state's active debt due to a fine of R$80,000, an amount that could be charged in court. There are still unpaid fines in São Paulo that can total at least R$3,868.97.

Bolsonaro was in the city of Açailândia (MA) to deliver 287 rural property titles on May 21st of this year. As usual, upon arriving at the venue, the president, without a mask, greeted supporters who gathered behind a protective fence. In his speech, he criticized the governor and his political opponent Flávio Dino, at the time at PCdoB, and asked the audience who “the chubby dictator of Maranhão” was.

A state decree prohibited events with more than one hundred people. The infraction notice says that photos and videos leave no doubt that Bolsonaro committed “transgressions of current health legislation”. It was also considered that there was an aggravating factor because, supposedly, he acted with malice (intention). The document also says that the Presidency carried out the act “without the minimum care required by the rules relating to Covid-19”.

The Presidency's Deputy Director for Legal Affairs presented a defense in June contesting the fact that the notification was made by email. He further alleged that state authorities had approved the act. The arguments were not accepted. Maranhão authorities claim that the notification served its purpose, that is, the federal government was in fact aware of the fine. And they claim that the authorization for the event contained the observation of the need to comply with decrees.

The president had until the beginning of August to pay the R$80,000. As he did not do so, he was included in active debt. tax lawyer Marcos Catão explains that inclusion in the list of debtors is a phase prior to execution.

— If you don't pay, you will be subject to judicial foreclosure.

Fines in SP

In São Paulo, fines against Bolsonaro were applied twice in the capital and in the municipalities of Sorocaba, Presidente Prudente, Iporanga, Eldorado and Ribeira. The last fine took place during the events on September 7th, on Avenida Paulista.

The state Department of Health reported that the president appealed the fines and that none have yet been paid. It does not appear registered in the state's active debt. The folder, however, does not specify the amount that Bolsonaro has to pay. The minimum value for violating the health measure is R$552.71 per fine. On this account, the president faces fines totaling at least R$3,868.97. The state government adds that, in cases of aggravating and repeat offenses, the amount can reach up to R$1 million.

Bolsonaro also received a fine of R$500 on the 9th from the city hall of Peruíbe, on the coast of São Paulo, for visiting a fair without a mask. This penalty is based on municipal law, and the president has not yet been notified. The federal government did not comment.

https://oglobo.globo.com/politica/jair-bolsonaro-deve-mais-de-80-mil-em-multas-por-nao-usar-mascara-25248909