Former President of Petrobras Says She Is "Embarrassed" by Bribery at the Company

03/27/2015 - 09h36

In a testimony made during the Petrobras Investigation on Thursday (26), the former president of Petrobras Graça Foster has said to feel "ashamed" and "very embarrassed" for the bribery accusations made against the state owned company by former employees who have then become informers in the Car Wash Operation.

Foster also confirmed the thesis raised by another former president of the company, José Sérgio Gabrielli, that corruption was carried out outside Petrobras and could not be detected by internal controls or by external audits.

"I obviously spend hours of my day thinking about everything that is happening at Petrobras. I walked into the other investigations and in hearings with more courage than I am here today. [Because] they could have had every suspicion but they did not have the facts available today that can be assessed. I am really embarrassed for all this, even to look at you all, " the former Petrobras president said.

She also cited the case of the Gasene pipeline, suggested by former manager Pedro Barusco as one of the works in which he received kickbacks, and for which Foster participated in as the director of Gas and Energy, to eventually say she felt "ashamed".

Foster, who started the company as a trainee, resigned from the presidency of Petrobras in February and said she retired about two months ago.

Attacked by parliamentarians, who questioned his management of the company, she repeatedly said that Petrobras "deserved a much better manager than me, I have no doubt of it." She stressed, however, that she did her best in her time in office.

Translated by CRISTIANE COSTA LIMA

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	Sérgio Lima/Folhapress
	Graça Foster has said to feel "ashamed" and "very embarrassed" for the bribery accusations made against Petrobras