Derrite's anti-faction bill "trivializes terrorism," says Sarrubbo.

247 - The National Secretary of Public Security, Mário Sarrubbo, vehemently criticized the opinion presented by Congressman Guilherme Derrite (PP-SP) regarding the anti-gang bill. In an interview with the program Em Ponto, on GloboNews, according to... g1Sarrubbo stated that the text "trivializes terrorism" and could "destabilize the entire Brazilian penal and procedural system."

Derrite's opinion alters the original project of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's (PT) government, which created a new criminal category to address criminal factions. In the substitute bill, some of these behaviors are now included in the Anti-Terrorism Law, which increases penalties and changes the essence of the proposal.

Criticisms of the expansion of the Anti-Terrorism Law

Sarrubbo argued that the congressman's text distorts the international concept of terrorism. "They backed down from the idea of ​​turning factions into terrorists, but they equated the actions, almost trivializing terrorism. Terrorism, in any country in the world, is an exception for specific circumstances, not for any criminal activity."

The secretary stated that the substitute bill was produced "in haste," less than three hours after Derrite was appointed rapporteur, and that the document "breaks the entire systematization of Brazilian criminal law." According to him, the text is limited to large factions and ignores other groups that also threaten security. "We will have difficulty investigating factions that carry out cyber and Pix scams. The report only looks at the large organizations and ignores the others," he emphasized.

Setback in the fight against financial crime.

Among the criticisms, Sarrubbo highlighted the removal of the provision that allowed for the civil forfeiture of assets—a tool used in countries in Europe and Latin America. "This instrument is essential to prevent helicopters, boats, and properties from returning to criminals even after the annulment of proceedings. Its exclusion represents a step backward," he stated.

The secretary also noted that the substitute bill does not differentiate between leaders and grassroots members of the factions, which, according to him, "weakens the focus on the financial control of these organizations." "It's a project that looks at the bottom and not the top. We need to attack the command, the money, the structure that sustains these organizations," Sarrubbo added, according to the report.

The original text was compiled with experts.

The government's bill, sent to Congress at the end of October, provided for the creation of the figure of the "criminal faction," with penalties ranging from eight to fifteen years in prison. The proposal also authorized the infiltration of agents, the freezing of assets, financial tracking, and the removal of public servants linked to factions.

Sarrubbo highlighted that the text was developed over more than a year by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, with the collaboration of the Unified Public Security System (Susp), the Public Prosecutor's Office, specialists, and representatives of civil society. "It was a text that was extensively debated and worked on with technicians and security forces from all over the country. What has appeared now is a substitute that does not engage with this construction," he stated.