Youssef's testimony will be 'infinitely more robust'.
That's according to an investigator involved in verifying the statements of the money launderer, who will point to construction companies, businessmen, and politicians, in addition to handing over files proving fraud in 750 public contracts; "nobody knows where a contribution of that size will end up," said the investigator.
By Rodrigo Tolotti Umpieres
SÃO PAULO - Money launderer Alberto Youssef, who recently agreed to a plea bargain, is expected to hand over a series of documents to the MPF (Federal Public Prosecutor's Office) to corroborate his statements to the Federal Police. The information comes from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo. The money launderer, who was arrested in Operation Lava Jato, began his statements last Thursday (2).
According to the publication, prosecutors want information on at least 750 contracts in which Youssef is involved, 17 of which relate to the state-owned company Petrobras (PETR3; PETR4) during the management of Paulo Roberto Costa, former director of the company who was recently released from prison after also making a plea bargain.
When he was arrested, the Federal Police found a document titled "project spreadsheet," which indicates that the money launderer brokered all these projects between large construction companies and public agencies between February 2009 and May 2012. Considering only the 17 contracts with Petrobras, the value reaches R$ 160 million, while the total sum of the 750 contracts could reach billions of reais.
According to Estadão, for each person and contract that Youssef mentions and implicates, he will also gather documents to prove what he says, facilitating the investigation. Therefore, the money launderer's testimony could be even more "weighty" than Paulo Roberto's, since the former Petrobras director did not present documents to corroborate his statements.