Ex-Petrobras manager promises to repatriate kickback money
Former Petrobras manager Pedro Barusco, during a testimony statement before the Congressional Committee of Investigation (CPI) on Petrobras scandal on Tuesday (Mar. 10)
Former Petrobras manager Pedro Barusco again admitted to receiving almost $100 million in bribery between 1997 and 2013. During a testimony statement before the Congressional Committee of Investigation (CPI) on Petrobras scandal on Tuesday (Mar. 10), he told deputies he is cooperating with the authorities to have the illegal money repatriated.
“I gave them my bank statements so the money will be repatriated,” Barusco said, telling the CPI members he was paid $97 million in the period. Out of this total, about $70 million was actually kickback money, and the remaining $27 million was interest.
Almost all of the money was received abroad, in several bank accounts with HS Republic, HSBC, Safra, Cramer (Switzerland), Royal Bank of Canada, and Delta, and according to him, the banks knew that the funds were illegal.
The hearing session at Congress lasted more than six hours. Barusco once more affirmed that he began taking bribes on his own initiative in 1997, under the government of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. But since 2004, then already under the now-ruling Workers' Party (PT), the illegal payments received from contractors became the “norm” and were split among Petrobras directors and the party.
Barusco estimates the amounts handled by PT treasurer João Vaccari Neto to have been somewhere in between 150-200 million dollars.
In a statement signed by the Workers' Party chairman Rui Falcão, the party reiterated that it has never had any financial or donation dealings with Pedro Barusco. The note went on to say that Barusco provided no evidence suggesting João Vaccari Neto received bribes, and promised to sue Barusco over the accusations. “[The Workers' Party] only takes donations within the legal standards, and reports all the amounts to the TSE [Superior Electoral Court],” the note reiterated.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Ex-Petrobras manager promises to repatriate kickback money
