Collor's defense asks the STF to prescribe the crime of passive corruption

The defense of former president Fernando Collor asked this Friday (9) that the Supreme Federal Court (STF) recognize the statute of limitations for the crime of passive corruption, making him serve his sentence only for the conviction related to money laundering. São Paulo Brasília

Prescription is when the State loses the right to punish a crime because too much time has passed without a final trial or conviction.

For the lawyers, the crime — the request for undue advantage — occurred before September 10, 2009, and the complaint was only accepted on August 22, 2017.

As more than six years have passed between the two moments and the sentence imposed can no longer be changed by the prosecution, the defense claims that the State has lost the right to punish Collor.

The request will be analyzed by the rapporteur minister of the case, Alexandre de Moraes. If accepted, Collor's sentence could be reduced to 4 years and 6 months in prison.

Collor was sentenced in 2023 to eight years and ten months in prison for receiving, according to the accusation, R$20 million in bribes between 2010 and 2014. The amount was allegedly paid by UTC Engenharia in exchange for his political influence, at the time as a senator, to facilitate works and appoint directors to the Petrobras subsidiary.

The complaint arose within the scope of Operation Lava Jato, and was reported as part of the plea bargain of Ricardo Pessoa, former president of UTC.

After the STF rejected the defense's second appeal, Moraes ordered the former president's immediate arrest.

He was arrested at the end of April, in Maceió, and was granted house arrest because he was 75 years old and had comorbidities.