Petrobras Is a Defendant in 47 Lawsuits Connected to Lava Jato Operation

04/03/2017 - 14h07

Little more than three years after the beginning of the Lava Jato operation, Petrobras is a defendant in 47 lawsuits in Brazil connected with the investigations. The lawsuits were filed by citizens and companies.

So far Petrobras has lost only one case – filed in the state of Alagoas – and is currently appealing of the decision. The lawsuit is under protection of the secrecy of legal proceedings and thus it is impossible to know what the motivation for the lawsuit was.

Petrobras managed to obtain favorable decisions in 22 cases - in some of them, the plaintiffs are appealing. In 24 other cases proceedings are still ongoing, as judges have not made their final decisions yet.

Folha verified some of the cases faced by Petrobras. In four of them, in different courts, the plaintiffs are Petrobras shareholders who claim they have been harmed by the corruption scandal discovered by the Lava Jato Operation.

The plaintiffs' claims range from compensation for pain and suffering and loss of profit to reimbursement for losses.

The plaintiffs justify their lawsuits by arguing that, because of the acts of corrupt management and directors, the stocks suffered a sharp decline.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

Read the article in the original language