Petrobras Scandal: Brazilian Judge Accepts Charges Against Odebrecht CEO

07/29/2015 - 09h09

Sergio Moro, judge of the 13th Federal Court of Paraná, accepted on Tuesday (28) afternoon charges against Marcelo Odebrecht Bahia, CEO of Brazilian contractor Odebrecht along with executives of the group for participating in a corruption scheme at Petrobras.

The contractor paid bribes to senior employees to secure major works for the state-run oil company.
 
All the 13 people denounced by federal prosecutors last Friday (24) will criminally respond for corruption and money laundering.

According to the charges, the contracts totalled US$ 3.9 million (R$ 13.1 billion) for refinery projects in Paraná and Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro's petrochemical complex (Comperj) and Petrobras headquarters in Vitória (ES).
 
According to the prosecution, the contract signed by Petrobras to sell nafta - main raw material for the plastic industry - to the petrochemical Braskem (an Odebrecht Group subsidiary) at prices below market value were also part of the scheme.
 
Marcelo Odebrecht and the executives Rogério Araújo, Márcio Faria, César Rocha and Alexandrino Alencar are in jail since June 19.
 
According to the charges, Odebrecht made payments through offshore companies to secret accounts of former directors Paulo Roberto Costa and Renato Duke and former service manager Pedro Barusco in Switzerland.
 
Lawyers of Marcelo Odebrecht and the other executives charged have not yet spoken about the judge's decision.
 
When the federal prosecutor filled the charges, Odebrecht said its executives are being prejudged.

According to the contractor, the evidence collected does not show a connection between the directors and the accounts that were allegedly used to pay bribes.

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

Read the article in the original language

	Rodolfo Burher - 20.jun.2015/Reuters
	Marcelo Odebrecht (bottom, R) and Otavio Marques Azevedo (2nd L) are escorted by federal police officers