Oil workers are calling for an investigation into Petrobras contracts

The National Federation of Oil Workers (FNP) has asked Petrobras to conduct an in-depth investigation into the contracts the state-owned company signed between 2016 and 2022 – the period between Dilma Rousseff’s trial and the end of Jair Bolsonaro’s government.

Oil workers cite, for example, the sale of the Landulpho Alves refinery (Rlam) for the Arab group Mubadala Capital, from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. According to the federation, the negotiations took place a month after Bolsonaro arrived in Brazil from Saudi Arabia. In this way, according to them, the sale is considered “suspeciousby FNP.

The class also requests investigations into asset sales. Petroquímica Suape sales in Pernambuco, BR Distribuidora, Transportadora Associada de Gás (TAG) and Nova Transportadora do Sudeste (NTS) are listed as contracts to be investigated.

Investigation by Petrobras International

On February 17, the US Department of Justice indicted two fuel traders for participating in a scheme to bribe executives of the Brazilian state-owned company.

According to the FBI, American Glenn Otzemel and Italian-Brazilian Eduardo Enco are accused of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). From 2010 to 2018, the duo favored two Connecticut-based companies in oil company contracts through illicit payments to state executives.

The US authorities did not reveal the names of the companies benefiting from the program. However, a Reuters investigation reported that Otzemel worked for Freepoint Commodities, which is based in Stamford, Connecticut. Innecco also provided consulting services to the same company.

Also according to the agency, the federal police has been investigating high-ranking Freepoint officials on charges of bribery of Petrobras executives since 2021.