The proposal that reduced the minimum penalty for crimes of money laundering or concealment of goods, rights and values was vetoed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Currently, the expected penalty is three to ten years in prison and, by the text approved by the National Congress, would be changed to two to 12 years of imprisonment.
“The legislative proposition contradicts the public interest by reducing the minimum limit of the penalty established for crimes of washing or concealment of assets, rights and values, since such a measure would mean weakening of the Brazilian legal framework in combating these illicit activities,” says the Lula message sent to parliamentariansthis Tuesday (29), published in the Official Gazette of the Union (DOU).
The text changes the Law No. 9,613/1998 which deals with the crime of hiding or concealing the nature, origin, location, disposition, movement or property of assets, rights or values, directly or indirectly, of criminal offense to the said Law has created the Council for Financial Activities Control (COAF) and is an instrument for preventing the use of the financial system for illicit.
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Cable theft
The change in the penalty of money laundering crimes was included by Congress in the text dealing with theft, theft and reception of wires, cables and equipment, telephony, data transfer, as well as equipment or rail or subway materials. Now the penalties will be greater in order to inhibit the practice of these crimes.
President Lula sanctioned the project that was published today in DOU in the form of Law No. 15,181/2025. In 2024, About 100 tons of cables and equipment were stolen or stolen In the country, according to the Brazilian Association of Awareness for the dangers of Electricity (Abracopel).
The penalty for theft of these assets will go to two to eight years in prison; Today, it is one to four years. In the event of theft, that is, when the crime involves threat or violence, the penalty, which is four to ten years in prison, will be raised between one third and half.
If the subtraction of the material compromises the functioning of bodies that provide essential public services, such as basic sanitation and transportation, the penalty will be six to 12 years. The text still doubles the penalties if the crime is committed during a situation of public calamity in the locality.
In the case of receiving wires and cables, the penalty, variable of one to eight years, will be doubled in case of qualified reception. The reception includes actions such as buying, keeping, hiding or selling the stolen material.
At other points, the project provides for the application of administrative sanctions to companies that have concession, authorization or permission to offer telecommunications service and use stolen wires and cables.
The agencies responsible for regulating telecommunications and electricity services will establish, in their own regulation, attenuating or the extinction of punishment for companies that suspend or interrupt the services due to theft of cables or equipment.
On the other hand, President Lula vetoed the stretch that exempted companies to fulfill regulatory obligations in these cases, as well as to consider the interruption of service in quality indicators.
“The proposition contradicts the public interest, given that it would increase the regulatory risk by imposing, broadly and automatically, the suspension of regulatory obligations and the disregard of quality indicators due to theft or theft events, which compromises incentives for continuous improvement of quality and safety of supply,” Lula explained in the veto message.
The vetoes to the text must analyze by parliamentarians within 30 days, who may maintain or overthrow them.
