Injunction banned the illegal production of fireworks in Bahia

The Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) obtained an injunction to prohibit the illegal production of fireworks in Bahia. One of those affected by the Court’s decision is the largest fireworks producer in Santo Antônio de Jesus, Gilson Froes Prazeres Bastos, who was a city councilor for three terms.

The injunction came from a public civil action by the MPT that asks that Gilson be ordered to pay R$20 million in compensation for moral damages. Now, the defendant’s partners and companies cannot manufacture, sell, transport explosive material or hire third parties for this purpose.

The action was signed by attorneys Ilan Fonseca, Juliana Corbal and Manuella Gedeon, and granted by judge Adriana Manta, from the 24th Labor Court of Salvador. It states that Gilson created a system that makes it difficult to monitor his work, hiding the operation of an economic group created to support the production and trade of fireworks illegally.

The MPT thesis was presented in a public civil action filed in August this year, and fully accepted by the Labor Court. In addition to granting what was requested, the final decision also established a fine of R$200,000 in case of non-compliance with any item of the sentence.

Gilson’s history with fireworks goes even further, as his father owned the fireworks factory that had the biggest workplace accident in the state’s history. Furthermore, the defendant was the target of two operations to identify the illegal production of fireworks.

Gilson was arrested red-handed in December last year in one of these inspection processes, and was accused again this year following a new inspection. On that occasion, illegal production of fireworks was identified on a farm belonging to him. CORREIO was unable to locate the accused or his defense to comment on the decision. The space remains open.

Gilson indirectly controls the companies Fogos Boa Vista, Fogos Import and Fogos São João, accused of transporting and storing explosive material without complying with safety standards and without the necessary authorization from the Army.

The situation was discovered through two investigations opened in Santo Antônio de Jesus and Salvador, in which the MPT discovered Gilson’s control over a mega fireworks production operation. The scheme is so large that it ranks as the largest producer of fireworks in the entire Northeast of the country, according to the MPT.

The production chain under Gilson’s control involves several companies, including some that are apparently inactive and have no formal employee records. The scheme’s production does not take place in a factory, but in houses spread across the Northeast.

At the time of the disaster at Gilson’s father’s factory, in 1998, the authorities tried to hold the company responsible, and continue to try to charge it for minor accidents that continue to occur. It was not possible, because there was no defined legal entity to bear the damages.

Since then, the family began to operate clandestinely, according to the ministry. Without the control of the Brazilian Army, the Fire Department, the Regional Labor Superintendence in Bahia, Crea Bahia or the Regional Chemical Council of Bahia, production began to make more profits, in an illegal movement.

The production chain that prevents authorities from reaching the real beneficiaries of the activity remains under investigation since it was discovered. The action also has another woman being investigated.