A judge has found that Brazil’s new environment minister altered plans for an environmentally protected area in order to favour businesses, but he is still likely to assume his role in the far-right government of president-elect Jair Bolsonaro on 1 January.

Ricardo Salles told the Guardian he will appeal and said the new government will “dedicate a lot of attention” to rising deforestation.

A judge in São Paulo found Salles had committed “administrative improbity”, suspended his political rights for three years, and ordered him to pay a fine worth ten times his monthly salary. Judge Fausto Seabra also found against the São Paulo state federation of industry, known as FIESP, and ordered it to pay the same fine.

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The civil action concerned an environmental management plan for a protected area around the River Tietê in São Paulo state. Prosecutors alleged that Salles, two others and FIESP “committed fraud in order to benefit business sectors, in particular mining companies and others associated with FIESP”, arguing they modified maps and altered the environmental plan decree.

The judge found that Salles violated legal and regulatory norms, impeded the participation of other sectors of the environmental system and “attended the economic interests of a restricted group in detriment to the defence of the environment”. He also said there was no “effective loss” to the environment because the process was not approved.

“The decision highlights there was no environmental damage, that there was no undue advantage on my part, there was nothing serious,” said Salles. “The judge believed it was not up to the environment secretary to make changes to conciliate the environment with economic development.”

Gustavo Bebbiano, a member of Bolsonaro’s cabinet, said Salles could still assume his ministerial role despite the ruling.

“There will be no space for anyone who does not have a clean sheet. I don’t think that would be the case of future minister Ricardo Salles, but this will be considered in good time,” he told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper.

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Bolsonaro has attacked environment ministry agencies for excessive fines, advocated mining and commercial agriculture on protected indigenous reserves and said environmental protection cannot hold up economic development. Salles, whose appointment was recommended by an agribusiness association, has called global warming a “secondary” issue.

Salles said the new government planned to make Brazil’s environmental licensing and fines system transparent by putting it online, arguing that this would reduce the “large volume” of fines revised or annulled by the courts. “If they were made with more technical rigour we would not have so many problems,” he said.

He said the new environmental ministry team will “respect the law and respect people”.

“Brazil always respected and cared a lot for the environment and we intend to continue,” he said.