RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A Brazilian court suspended the criminal process over four mining companies allegedly involved in the collapse of a mine dam to check and verify the validity of evidence, local news website G1 said Monday.
The debacle, which happened in November 2015 in Mariana, southeastern Brazil, unleashed a tsunami of mine waste that killed 19 people and polluted waterways, thus becoming one of the largest environmental disasters in Brazilian history.
The mining companies Samarco, Vale, VogBR and BHP Billiton and some individuals related to these corporations are facing multiple charges, including manslaughter and environmental crimes, which the companies have denied.
According to G1, the companies' defense team alleged that the recordings of phone calls included in the criminal process were illegally obtained. The court ruled that an investigation will be carried out to clarify whether the recordings were obtained legally, and in the meantime the process will remain suspended.
The prosecution denied any irregularities during investigations and protested the court's decision.
"The recordings indicated by the defense as supposedly illegal were not even used in the denouncement, and so, should not have caused the process to be nullified," the prosecution stated.
The so-called Mariana Disaster caused incalculable environmental and economic damages in afflicted areas. The flow of toxic mud that leaked out from the collapse went down a valley and completely destroyed a small residential community, killing 19 people. One of the bodies was never found.
The mud wave also invaded and polluted the entire Doce River, the largest and most important river in that region.
The ecosystem of the river was completely destroyed, affecting animals and fishermen that live on food and resources in the river. The river was also used for electricity generation and water distribution, which were both obstructed.
