PMDB operatives targeted by Lava Jato are already in jail in Brasília.
The two financial operators targeted in the 38th phase of Operation Lava Jato have already landed at Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport in Brasília; Jorge Luz and his son Bruno Luz had their preventive detention ordered, but were in Miami (USA); according to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, they acted as intermediaries between those who would pay and those who would receive bribes; investigations indicated that their actions at Petrobras resulted in the payment of R$ 40 million in bribes over 10 years.
The two financial operators targeted in the 38th phase of Operation Lava Jato, dubbed Blackout (referring to the suspects' surname), have already landed at Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport in Brasília. Jorge Luz and Bruno Luz had their preventive detention ordered, but were in Miami, in the United States.
The landing took place early this Saturday morning (25) and they were immediately taken by the Federal Police (PF) to the Institute of Legal Medicine and then to the PF Superintendence jail in the federal capital. They will face charges of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.
According to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF), Jorge and Bruno's actions at Petrobras allegedly resulted in the payment of R$ 40 million in bribes over 10 years, especially in the purchase of the Petrobras 10.000 and Vitória 10.000 drillships; in the operation of the Vitória 10.000 drillship; and in the sale, by Petrobras, of its shareholding in Transener (Argentina's largest electricity transmission company) to the company Eletroengenharia.
According to the investigation, most of the bribes were passed on to members of Petrobras' International Directorate, while the remainder was destined for political agents. Federal prosecutor Diogo Castor de Mattos stated that these politicians currently enjoy parliamentary immunity, especially senators.
Members of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office task force also stated that Jorge and Bruno worked in Petrobras' International Directorate, an area politically appointed by the PMDB party. They also occasionally worked in the Supply Directorate and the Services Directorate of the state-owned company, areas influenced by the PP and PT parties, respectively.
On Thursday (23), the PMDB published a note stating that the financial operators "have no relationship with the party and were never authorized" to speak on behalf of the party. The PP and the PT did not comment on the matter.
Petrobras said in a statement that it "continues to cooperate with the authorities" to seek compensation for the losses caused to the company. The state-owned company also stressed that the authorities "recognize that Petrobras is a victim of all the facts revealed by this investigation."