Court accepts charges against 27 in Lava Jato corruption scandal.
Among those investigated who will be the target of criminal proceedings initiated by Judge Sérgio Moro, responsible for Operation Lava Jato, are the treasurer of the Workers' Party (PT), João Vaccari Neto, and the former director of Petrobras, Renato Duque; they and 25 others have become defendants accused of corruption, money laundering, and forming a criminal organization; the indictment was filed last Monday.
André Richter - Reporter for Agência Brasil
Federal judge Sérgio Moro today (23) accepted charges against 27 people investigated in Operation Lava Jato, including the PT treasurer, João Vaccari Neto. The criminal action includes the former director of Services at Petrobras, Renato Duque, and the former manager of the state-owned company, Pedro Barusco, in addition to other people investigated in the tenth phase of the operation, launched last week.
From now on, those involved will be called to testify, may present their defense, and indicate witnesses.
Among those accused who have also become defendants are money launderer Alberto Youssef, former Petrobras Supply Director Paulo Roberto Costa, and executives from construction companies, already investigated in other phases of Operation Lava Jato. All are accused of the crimes of money laundering, corruption, and conspiracy.
In the indictment, prosecutors point to new instances of misappropriation of funds in contracts with Petrobras. This time, the projects under investigation were the Getúlio Vargas Refinery in Araucária, Paraná, and the Paulínia Refinery in São Paulo.
According to prosecutors, João Vaccari Neto participated in meetings with Renato Duque, in which the amounts to be transferred to the PT (Workers' Party) through legal donations were agreed upon. The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) alleges that 24 donations totaling R$ 4,26 million were made.
Upon initiating the criminal proceedings, Moro stated that "there is documentary evidence of part of the bribe money being transferred through registered campaign donations to the Workers' Party, which was allegedly done at the request of Duque and Vaccari."
According to Moro, proof of legal donations does not conceal the illicit origin of the funds. "Making electoral donations, even if registered, with funds originating from crime, constitutes, in theory, the crime of money laundering. Furthermore, if, as the Federal Prosecutor's Office claims, the donations were agreed upon as part of the bribe directed to the Directorate of Services, João Vaccari is also involved in the crime of passive corruption," the judge emphasized.
Vaccari's defense claims that the treasurer did not participate in any scheme to collect bribes for the party. The lawyers add that the donations solicited by Vaccari were legal and made transparently.
In a statement released last week, after being indicted by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, the defense of the PT treasurer denied that the donations to the party were the result of bribery. "Vaccari repudiates the references made by the informants about him, as they do not correspond to the truth. He did not receive or solicit any contribution of illicit origin destined for the PT, as the donations requested by Mr. Vaccari were made through bank deposits, with complete transparency and with due accountability to the competent authorities."
Renato Duque's defense also denies that he received bribes and moved money through secret accounts abroad.