Eleven years after the collapse of the Fundão dam in Mariana (MG), which caused 19 deaths, Samarco and three engineers were criminally convicted for the disaster. The trial took place on Thursday (3) and represents the first criminal conviction for both this case and Brumadinho, where another similar tragedy occurred. To this day, no one had been held criminally responsible for these tragedies. The sentence also prohibits Samarco from contracting with public administration for a period of 10 years, in addition to imposing a fine of R$ 1 million, amounts that must be reverted to the National Environment Fund.
The convicted engineers were operational managers of the mining company. Daviély Silva and Germano Lopes received a sentence of eight years and nine months of imprisonment in closed regime. Wagner Alves was convicted to seven years, three months and 14 days of imprisonment, with initial fulfillment in semi-open regime. All can still appeal the decision.
The three judges of the Second Panel of the Regional Federal Court of the 6th Region (TRF-6) followed the rapporteur's vote, maintaining the conviction of the defendants. The Mariana tragedy is considered one of the biggest environmental disasters in Brazil, with significant impact also in states such as Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro.
