Investigator Domingos Xavier Viegas admits negligence and defends supervision of the system

This Tuesday, April 14, forest fire specialist Domingos Xavier Viegas expressed doubts about the existence of “concerted actions” in businesses linked to the fires, but admitted “some negligence” and that the system requires greater supervision.

“I do not deny that this happens [negócios fraudulentos]but I have doubts that the volume of these businesses is relevant and significant”said the director of the Center for Forest Fire Studies at the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) into the forest fire business, referring to the possibility of suspicions of fraud in some businesses associated with the management of rural fires.

Throughout the hearing, he maintained that he did not have “direct knowledge” of illicit activities linked to the fire business, whether by loggers or companies providing materials to support combat activities, and considered that “there is not exactly a large-scale concertation”.

“The greater expression of suspicion would lead to the consideration that interested parties would employ means to cause more fires, to reduce the effectiveness of firefighting, to have longer fire durations, more relights and, consequently, a larger burned area. I have doubts that there are concerted actions in this regard”he said, admitting the existence of “actions that manifest some negligence in this area”.

As an example, he cited what he considered to be a “very great negligence” in not using retardant products in combat, which facilitates and reduces “combat effectiveness, especially aerial means, which are the most expensive”.

Another of the negligences highlighted is the lack of data on the movement of aircraft, namely the lack of data on where helicopters and planes are flying and unloading, in addition to expressing “great concern” with the management of the power grid bands.

Domingos Xavier also said that “the system needs greater supervision by the citizens themselves and then by the responsible entities”.

“This whole system of fires, like other things in the country, runs freely. Nobody watches them. And we have to look at that”he appealed, adding that the CPI, “more than simply searching for fraud in business”, should “identify and correct several other flaws that exist”.