Brazil Speaker Cunha and Senator Collor Are Charged in Petrobras Corruption Scheme

08/21/2015 - 09h13

Last Thursday (20) afternoon, the Attorney General of the Republic Rodrigo Janot filed in the Supreme Federal Court (STF) a criminal complaint against the speaker of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, (PMDB-RJ), on charges of passive corruption crimes and money laundering.

The initiative is the result of Operation Car Wash (Lava Jato), which investigates crimes at Petrobras.

Janot also filed a complaint on Senator Fernando Collor (PTB-AL) and former Minister Pedro Paulo Leoni Ramos for their alleged participation in the scheme.

After meeting with allies, Cunha said he is innocent and is "absolutely calm" about the complaints.

"I am innocent and with this complaint I feel relieved, since now the subject is a matter for the Judiciary," he said.

According to the complaint, Cunha received US$ 1.45 million (R$ 5 million) in kickbacks after sealing contracts between Petrobras and Samsung Heavy Industries from Korea, to supply drill ships to the state-run oil company.  

In addition to their conviction, Janot asks for the restitution of the "product and advantage of crimes" worth US$ 40 million and the repair of damages caused to Petrobras and to the public administration, also valued at US$ 40 million.

Since March, when the case was brought to the Supreme Court, Cunha has denied any involvement in irregularities and claimed to be the target of persecution by Janot and the government.

Now, the Minister responsible for reporting the cases related to the Operation Car Wash to the Supreme Federal Court, Teori Zavascki, must submit the complaints to the STF's fellow Ministers who will decide in plenary if they support or reject them.

There is still no deadline for the decision. If upheld, the complaint becomes criminal lawsuit and Cunha will become a defendant.

Senator and former President Fernando Collor said the investigation was built up on "successive showy events" and accused Janot of making a "media circus".  

Operation Car Wash investigators indicate that a group linked to the Senator received about US$ 7.5 million (R$ 26 million) in alleged bribes from 2010 to 2014.

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

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	Alan Marques/Folhapress
	Senator and former president Fernando Collor was charged in Petrobras corruption scheme