Public Prosecutor's Office releases recommendation to prevent vote-buying for fuel.
The Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office in Alagoas has sent a recommendation to gas station owners to avoid distributing fuel to voters with the intention of buying votes; the document states that gas stations should not issue tickets or vouchers to individuals or legal entities without a prior formal written contract, which must be reported to the Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office every 20 days.
By Graça Carvalho/eassim.net - A recommendation from the Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office in Alagoas, addressed to the owners of gas stations in the state and to the Retail Trade Union of Petroleum Derivatives of the State of Alagoas (Sindicombustíveis/AL), aims to prevent the distribution of fuel to voters with the intention of buying votes.
Indeed, if in previous instances before the current crisis in the fuel sector there was already ample room for electoral corruption, this year, oversight will have to be redoubled. And, if that's the case, the recommendation serves as a warning to anyone who might feign ignorance.
According to the recommendation, gas station owners should not issue tickets/vouchers or similar documents to individuals or legal entities without a prior formal written contract, which must be reported to the Regional Electoral Prosecutor's Office every 20 days.
In other words, the regional electoral prosecutor Raquel Teixeira, who signed the document dated today, wants to know all the details of the contract. Therefore, gas station owners will have to register and identify the issued tickets with reference to the respective contract, in addition to the CPF/CNPJ (Brazilian tax identification number) of the consumer who is refueling with the voucher.
Parades and other events
In the case of fuel supplies for motorcades and campaign events not formalized through a prior written contract, the Alagoas Electoral Ministry recommends that invoices be issued for each fuel supply, including the CPF (Brazilian individual taxpayer registration number) of each vehicle driver and a note indicating who made the payment (CPF/CNPJ - Brazilian company taxpayer registration number).
Furthermore, invoices must be issued for all fuel purchases, without exception. Another important detail: in-kind donations made to candidates must be recorded, including the amounts and the CPF (Brazilian tax identification number) of the donor and the consumers who use the fuel. For this purpose, the gas station must keep track of the number of cars and motorcycles refueled, whether for motorcades or campaign use.
If the company donates fuel, this must be done directly into the tank of the respective vehicle; supplying fuel to taxis, motorcycle taxis, and cars with red license plates is prohibited. All donations must be properly documented so that the candidate can record the corresponding electoral expenses in a subsequent accounting report.
The Recommendation also makes it clear that, on election day, candidates will not be able to "cut in line" at gas stations. They will not be able to choose consumers, prioritizing candidates over voters.
It's always worth remembering that it's a crime (article 299 of the Electoral Code): "to give, offer, promise, solicit or receive, for oneself or for another, money, gifts, or any other advantage, to obtain or give a vote and to obtain or promise abstention, even if the offer is not accepted." The penalty is imprisonment for up to four years and a fine of 5 to 15 days' wages.
The following is the full text of the Recommendation, released by the press office of the Alagoas Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office: Recommendation PRE/AL No. 004/2018.