The Tupi people, one of the main ethnic groups of Brazilian indigenous people, believe in a male supernatural being called “Curupira” that guards the forest in Tupi mythology. I crowned this BLOG with his name because I aspire the BLOG, which deals with insects as part of the nature, to play a role just like Curupira who protects the forest from the destructive habits of man.
18 Dec, 2008
On Dec. 9, I had a meeting with the INPA at the Environmental Court.
The meeting was held as a result of my compromise that I hammered out after three complaints filed against me by the INPA, which had taken objection to the court order issued against them in this past June to the effect that everything they had confiscated from Hashimoto should be returned to him immediately on the basis of insufficiency of proof and the expiration of the statute of limitation.
All of these three complaints were filed in an attempt to reclaim my insect specimens which they had returned to me with much reluctance; along with the third complaint they filed, they even caused my Museum to be searched, denouncing that"Hashimoto might just possibly smuggle his returned specimens out of the country."
What it was was that they insisted on keeping MY insect specimens in their hands; so, if they were infatuated that much with my beautifully prepared exhibits, I suggested that I wouldn't mind donating 70% of my insect collection to the Court (I know that a good part of the donatives would end up in the hands of the reasonless INPA).
How did the meeting go? The participants from the INPA sat still without uttering a single word. Instead, a magistrate and a prosecutor asked my legal counsel numerous questions. The meeting was a session intended for a sort of out-of-court settlement in the presence of a judge.
My legal counsel dealt with the questions one by one, but the demands from the INPA side were so unreasonable and persistent that they were like a swarm of annoying flies infesting my food. So, in the hope of savoring my food and leading a peaceful life in general, I threw the abovementioned suggestion at them. Then, the prosecutor presumptuously demanded, "You should include your tower in the donation list, too."
I gave a big thumbs down to the unwarranted demand; then, he came back with an equally brazen reply, "Then, why don't you allow the INPA to use the tower for free for three years?"
Now it became obvious that the INPA had intended to hijack my tower in the first place.
The insect specimens they confiscated in the course of the investigation on my tower must have smelled like a rose to them. Because they must have thought that if they could 'successfully' allege I had obtained/sold contraband insects, the tower would automatically fall in their hand.
Why that is so has something to do with Brazil's environmental laws.
I must refrain from disclosing sensitive details of the wheeling and dealing at this moment in order to protect my position. But I am sure the day will come soon when I can tell you, my dear readers, what has happened during this time.
My outright refusal to donate/loan my tower naturally led to a breakdown of our negotiations. The next round of talks is slated for January 20, 2009.
No matter how much the INPA bugs me with all these countersuits, I am not at all about to succumb to their trumpeted-up story. Period!
Penned on Dec. 10, 2008
