Prosecutors charge 11 with embezzlement in Brazil
Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service (MPF) filed charges against 11 people on Wednesday (Aug. 10) for money laundering and forgery. The suspects are alleged to have used shell companies to issue false invoices for large construction companies, including Andrade Gutierrez, during construction projects for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Norte-Sul railway, and the Rio de Janeiro Petrochemical Complex (COMPERJ).
One of the suspects, Samir Assad, was arrested by Federal Police officers on Wednesday morning as part of Operation “Brotherhood”, led by Operation Car Wash prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro. He is charged with 223 counts of money laundering, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. Police are also carrying out search and seizure raids in São Paulo. Operation Brotherhood is a spin-off from Operation Pripyat, an investigation into a millionaire embezzlement scheme in connection with the Angra 3 nuclear plant project run by state-owned energy corporation Eletronuclear.
Samir is the brother of Adir Assad, who was already jailed and has been charged too. The two are the alleged heads of the financial operations group in charge of the shell companies responsible for channeling embezzled funds to Andrade Gutierrez.
Other indicted suspects include Marcelo Abbud, who was jailed with Adir Assad, and Mauro Abbud. Prosecutors say the companies Legend Engenheiros Associados, SP Terraplenagem, JSM Engenharia e Terraplenagem, and Alpha Taxi Aéreo Ltda. have used false invoices to funnel over $55.8 million worth of slush funds to Andrade Gutierrez.
Four former Andrade Gutierrez executives—Rogério Nora de Sá, a Clóvis Renato Numa Peixoto Primo, Flávio David Barra, and Gustavo Ribeiro de Andrade Botelho—have also been charged.
Prosecutors say in the charging instrument that Andrade Gutierrez is cooperating with the investigations and has even provided material evidence of the wrongdoing.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Prosecutors charge 11 with embezzlement in Brazil
