The Federal Court of Amazonas ordered, this Thursday (18), the freezing of assets valued at R$292 million of a cattle rancher accused of deforesting and burning 5.6 thousand hectares of forests in the Amazon. The decision was motivated by an action by the Attorney General’s Office (AGU).
According to the lawsuit, the deforestation occurred between 2013 and 2016 in the municipalities of Boca do Acre and Lábrea, both in Amazonas. The AGU considers that the amount frozen is the largest ever charged by the agency for damages caused in the Amazon.
According to the court’s decision, the rancher must also repair the deforested area and implement sink systems to reduce the carbon impact in the region.
According to the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (Ibama), the environmental infractions committed represented the emission of 901 thousand tons of greenhouse gases.
The decision also prevents the rancher from obtaining financing from official banks and receiving tax benefits for the purchase of tractors and tools. An appeal against the decision is possible. The name of the accused was not disclosed.
