Anti-corruption proposals backed by more than 2 million signatures

A year into the campaign “10 Steps Against Corruption”, the Federal Prosecutor's Office (MPF) is submitting more than 2 million signatures today (Mar. 29) supporting a popular initiative proposal that aims to make anti-corruption laws more stringent, both in terms of enforcement and prevention.

The set of measures will be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies' Caucus on Corruption Enforcement by civil society organizations that supported the campaign.

“Impunity leads to corruption. It fuels corruption because an anticipation that there will be no consequences is actually quite encouraging for wrongdoing,” the Deputy Prosecutor-General in charge of the Anti-Corruption Division of the MPF, Nicolao Dino, told Agência Brasil.

The proposals, which emerged from studies conducted by the MPF task force handling Operation Car Wash (the investigation into the Petrobras graft scandal) include the criminalization of unjustified enrichment of public officials and slush funds, accountability of political parties, harsher penalties for corruption-related crimes, and a revision of legal time-bar rules.

Dino says a “visible horizon” should be set for the outcome of cases relating to corruption. “If you want to stop corruption, you need to consider all aspects: preventing, restraining, and ultimately imposing legal remedies. You need to cover the whole time span—before, during, and after [wrongdoing]. [This requires] setting a visible horizon, rather than a distant, uncertain one,” he said.

In addition to legislative and administrative changes, the deputy prosecutor urged the need for a change in the standards of behavior of the society at large, and a “break with the vicious circle” that has long existed in the country in order to mitigate the practice of corruption.

“It must be noted that certain situations are 'tolerated' by society which, in fact, serve as 'leads' into corruption. When you talk about fighting corruption you want to expand the concept of corruption. You want to overcome that culture of 'fixing' things to make them work for your interests. These things all need to be rejected so we can really make great strides in fighting corruption.”

Translated by Mayra Borges