A bill recently approved by the Brazilian Senate expands the definiton of money laundering, and may make it easier to prosecute government officials guilty of the crime.
Brazil’s main anti-money laundering statute, passed in 1998, states that suspects can only be prosecuted if the laundered cash originated from drug trafficking, arms trafficking, kidnapping, and a range of other activities linked to organized crime.
A new bill, passed by the Brazilian Senate on June 6, allows suspects to be prosecuted for handling money that comes from any illicit source, not just those on a predefined list.
The bill also raises the maximum prison term for money laundering from three to 10 years, and the maximum fine from 200,000 reais (about $98,400) to 20 million reais (about $98 million). It also makes it easier for law enforcement to seize assets and property linked to crime.
The bill must now be signed into law by President Dilma Rousseff.
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Detailed text of the new legislation (in Portuguese): click here
Detailed text of the new legislation (translated in English): click here