Costa confirms bribe to Lobão and Roseana.

Maranhao 247 - Former Petrobras Supply Director Paulo Roberto Costa reaffirmed this Tuesday (5) that he passed on bribes ranging from R$ 1 million to R$ 2 million to Senator Edison Lobão (PMDB-MA), when the PMDB member was head of the Ministry of Mines and Energy. The former director also reinforced that the money was also intended for the then governor of Maranhão, Roseana Sarney (PMDB).

Costa's statement was given in response to a question from Representative Eliziane Gama (PPS-MA) during a public hearing held by the Petrobras CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) of the Chamber of Deputies. "How did these conversations with then-Minister Edison Lobão and Governor Roseana Sarney take place? What was the content of these meetings? Did this discussion also include the payment of bribes for the Premium refinery?" the congresswoman asked.

"I went to a meeting with Minister Edison Lobão, and he asked me for funds for himself and for the then-governor Roseana Sarney. This request was made by Minister Lobão. I don't know if it was one million or two million, but it's in my testimony," Costa stated.

The PPS congresswoman also wanted details about a statement made at the beginning of Costa's testimony to the CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) that political appointments to Petrobras's board positions began in 1985, at the start of José Sarney's government. "Was José Sarney, in the 80s, the great newcomer, the one who created all the favorable conditions for this billion-dollar corruption scheme that we are seeing today at Petrobras?" she asked.

The former director of Petrobras stated that political appointments to Petrobras's directorates began during José Sarney's administration, but he did not know whether the scheme of irregularities in contracts was already in effect at that time.