How much does Bolsonaro’s ankle bracelet cost and what is the fine for destruction? Find out more

Violated with an iron solder by Jair Bolsonaro, the electronic ankle bracelet used by the former president could result in extra expenses for the public coffers. According to the contract between the Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration and the company that supplies the equipment, the unit rental for each of the 4,000 ankle bracelets used in the Federal District costs R$245 per month. However, the contract also provides for the imposition of a fine in case of destruction of the equipment. If the report defines Bolsonaro’s interference as “destruction” and not “damage”, the fine could be almost R$9,000.

The supply was signed in 2023 between the Government of the Federal District and the company UE Brasil Tecnologia and has been extended since then. Currently, the monthly cost per equipment is R$245. In total, the DF government spends R$32 million on equipment rental. This cost is not exactly the value of the ankle bracelets themselves, but of the entire service provided by the company to supply 4 thousand pieces of equipment.

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The contract provides for the rental of equipment, including chargers, and software for electronic monitoring and tracking of people linked to legal proceedings at the STF, STJ, TRF and TJDFT.

The ankle bracelet must be waterproof and with a “closure resistant to acts of accidental or intentional violation by the person being monitored”. The company provides up to 4,000 ankle bracelets, chargers and 400 electronic devices to protect the victim.

The contract, however, also provides for possible damage caused to the equipment, whether due to its natural use by the monitored person, or due to intentional violation. This Saturday, when questioned by criminal agents, former president Jair Bolsonaro admitted to having used a hot soldering iron to burn the equipment. According to the former president, he violated the ankle bracelet out of curiosity.

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According to the contract, the company must replace defective or damaged equipment so that there are no interruptions in its continued use.

The document also provides, however, possibilities for reimbursement to the company by the government. In the contract, the equipment may be considered “defective”, “broken”, “sub-judice”, “destroyed” or “lost”. Reimbursement is only provided for the last three cases.

In the agreement signed, it is stipulated that devices that are not working or that show total damage will be considered “destroyed”, and will be considered irrecoverable. The finding of futility will be confirmed through a technical report presented by the company and ratified by the commission executing the contract.

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“Faulty” equipment is equipment that may or may not be working properly, but has any “changes in its physical characteristics”. The “defective” ones are those that are not working properly.

If the destruction is confirmed, the Government of the Federal District must reimburse the company for more than one year in three times the monthly cost of providing service for a device. As the monthly amount is currently R$245, triple this amount would be R$735. Paid for one year, the fine would reach R$8820.

The same fine would apply in cases of loss, but also to those that are seized for inspection, regardless of a court decision.