Brazil's Federal Audit Court (TCU) again postpones decision on freezing Graça Foster's assets.

Sabrina Craide - Reporter for Agência Brasil 

The Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) has again postponed the analysis of the blocking of assets belonging to the president of Petrobras, Graça Foster. Minister José Jorge, rapporteur of the case at the court, maintained the vote presented at the beginning of the month, which calls for the unavailability of Graça Foster's assets, but removed the process from the agenda of today's meeting, after a news item published this afternoon (20) on the website of the newspaper O Globo. The report states that the president and the former director of the company's International Area, Nestor Cerveró, donated properties to relatives after the scandal over the purchase of the Pasadena Refinery, in Texas (USA).

José Jorge promised that he will present it again next week. According to him, the information in the report still needs to be analyzed and confirmed, but it already indicates the need to approve the freezing of assets. "If this is true, and depending on its extent, this constitutes a circumvention of the process of investigating the irregularity. It is very serious," said the minister.

According to the Attorney General of the Union, Luís Inácio Adams, even if there was a specific transfer of assets, this does not constitute asset flight. "Asset flight is the complete disposal of your assets in favor of front men, unidentified individuals, in such a way that you cannot recover those assets. That is not the case here. I am certain that the president and the other directors who are being accused will clarify this with the utmost ease."

José Jorge's report includes Graça Foster and Jorge Luiz Zelada in the legal proceedings that determine responsibility for alleged irregularities in Petrobras' acquisition of the Pasadena Refinery. The action suggested freezing the assets of those responsible for the losses attributed to Petrobras in the purchase of the North American refinery.

During today's session, Minister Walton Alencar Rodrigues presented a new proposal, including both as responsible parties, but without freezing their assets.

Two weeks ago, the decision regarding the inclusion of Graça Foster's name had been postponed by José Jorge, who wanted more time to assess the situation after Adams argued that Graça Foster's assets should not be frozen. Last month, the TCU (Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts) ordered the return of US$792,3 million to Petrobras' coffers for damages caused to the company's assets.