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O início da contagem do prazo de prescrição do procedimento criminal nos crimes de corrupção
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A corrupção é, para além de categoria jurídico-penal, um fenómeno social que tem sido alvo de especial interesse por parte da sociedade portuguesa, sendo perspetivado como uma verdadeira doença que afeta o sistema político e o aparelho estadual. Como tal, é hoje um tema amplamente estudado e debatido pela doutrina e jurisprudência nacionais. Entre as questões que têm merecido a sua atenção, surge a problemática do início da contagem do prazo de prescrição do procedimento criminal relativo aos ilícitos corruptivos quando é praticada mais do que uma conduta prevista nos artigos 373.º e 374.º
do Código Penal, que se encontra dependente da determinação do momento da consumação dos mesmos. É justamente esta questão que se trata no presente trabalho.
Sendo o bem jurídico tutelado pela incriminação da corrupção um bem jurídico complexo, que agrega a capacidade e eficiência funcionais da máquina estadual e a confiança comunitária na correção e objetividade no exercício de funções públicas, a consumação dos crimes de corrupção ocorre, havendo sucessão de atos corruptivos, no momento em que ocorre o primeiro deles. Logo, por força do artigo 119.º, n.º 1 do Código Penal, é no momento em que é praticada a primeira conduta que preenche o tipo de ilícito que começa a correr o prazo prescricional do respetivo procedimento criminal.
Esta interpretação normativa é aquela que melhor se coaduna com a letra da lei e com o espírito do legislador. No entanto, continua a observar-se uma ampla divergência doutrinal e jurisprudencial que tem dado origem a soluções inteiramente distintas, assim comprometendo o princípio da segurança jurídica, pelo que se mostra imperativa a uniformização da doutrina e da jurisprudência nesta matéria, em nome do princípio da legalidade criminal. Parece ser pertinente, por isso, além da conforme interpretação da lei por parte do intérprete, a intervenção do legislador penal.
Não se rejeita a eventual adoção de solução diversa da que vigora atualmente, sobretudo porque se reconhece o risco de impunidade a que se associa a interpretação normativa que resulta da lei quando há um desfasamento temporal entre os atos praticados. Por outro lado, uma vez que se considera que o legislador não pretendeu tornar irrelevantes condutas típicas, ressalva-se a possibilidade de o julgador ter em conta as condutas típicas subsequentes ao momento da consumação na determinação da medida concreta da pena, nos termos do artigo 71.º, n.º 2, e) do Código Penal.
In addition to being a legal and criminal category, corruption is a social phenomenon that has been the subject of special interest in Portuguese society and is seen as a real disease that affects the political system and the state apparatus. As such, it is a subject that has been widely studied and debated in Portuguese doctrine and jurisprudence. Among the issues that have received attention is the problem of the start of the limitation period for criminal proceedings relating to corruptive offences when more than one of the behaviours set out in articles 373 and 374 of the Penal Code are committed, which depends on determining when they are consummated. This is precisely the issue addressed in this paper. Since the legal interest protected by the incrimination of corruption is a complex legal interest, which includes the functional capacity and efficiency of the state machine and community trust in the correctness and objectivity of the exercise of public functions, the consummation of corruption offences occurs, if there is a succession of corrupt acts, at the moment when the first of them occurs. Therefore, according to article 119, no. 1 of the Penal Code, it is when the first conduct that fulfils the type of offence is committed that the limitation period for the respective criminal proceedings begins to run. This normative interpretation is the one that best fulfils the letter of the law and the spirit of the legislator. However, there is still a great deal of doctrinal and jurisprudential divergence that has given rise to entirely different solutions, thus compromising the principle of legal certainty, which is why it is imperative to standardise doctrine and jurisprudence on this matter, in the name of the principle of criminal legality. It therefore seems pertinent that, in addition to the interpreter's interpretation of the law, the criminal legislator should intervene. The possible adoption of a different solution to the one currently in force is not rejected, especially since the risk of impunity associated with the normative interpretation that results from the law when there is a time lag between the acts carried out is recognised. On the other hand, since it is considered that the legislator did not intend to make typical behaviour irrelevant, the judge may consider typical behaviour subsequent to the moment of consummation when determining the concrete measure of the penalty, under the terms of article 71, no. 2, e) of the Penal Code.
In addition to being a legal and criminal category, corruption is a social phenomenon that has been the subject of special interest in Portuguese society and is seen as a real disease that affects the political system and the state apparatus. As such, it is a subject that has been widely studied and debated in Portuguese doctrine and jurisprudence. Among the issues that have received attention is the problem of the start of the limitation period for criminal proceedings relating to corruptive offences when more than one of the behaviours set out in articles 373 and 374 of the Penal Code are committed, which depends on determining when they are consummated. This is precisely the issue addressed in this paper. Since the legal interest protected by the incrimination of corruption is a complex legal interest, which includes the functional capacity and efficiency of the state machine and community trust in the correctness and objectivity of the exercise of public functions, the consummation of corruption offences occurs, if there is a succession of corrupt acts, at the moment when the first of them occurs. Therefore, according to article 119, no. 1 of the Penal Code, it is when the first conduct that fulfils the type of offence is committed that the limitation period for the respective criminal proceedings begins to run. This normative interpretation is the one that best fulfils the letter of the law and the spirit of the legislator. However, there is still a great deal of doctrinal and jurisprudential divergence that has given rise to entirely different solutions, thus compromising the principle of legal certainty, which is why it is imperative to standardise doctrine and jurisprudence on this matter, in the name of the principle of criminal legality. It therefore seems pertinent that, in addition to the interpreter's interpretation of the law, the criminal legislator should intervene. The possible adoption of a different solution to the one currently in force is not rejected, especially since the risk of impunity associated with the normative interpretation that results from the law when there is a time lag between the acts carried out is recognised. On the other hand, since it is considered that the legislator did not intend to make typical behaviour irrelevant, the judge may consider typical behaviour subsequent to the moment of consummation when determining the concrete measure of the penalty, under the terms of article 71, no. 2, e) of the Penal Code.
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Palavras-chave
corrupção prazo de prescrição do procedimento criminal sucessão de atos corruptivos consumação confiança impunidade princípio da segurança jurídica princípio da legalidade criminal corruption limitation period for criminal proceedings succession of corrupt acts consummation trust impunity principle of legal certainty principle of criminal legality