Swiss attorney general files first indictment in Petrobras scandal
Switzerland accepted a request from the Brazilian and Portuguese authorities to handle the case.
Keystone / Dado Galdieri
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) says it has filed its first Petrobras indictment with the Federal Criminal Court against a Swiss-Brazilian intermediary charged with money laundering and bribery.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/ac
Español
es
La fiscalía suiza presenta acusación por escándalo de Petrobras
The “Operation Car Wash” investigation into the state-run Petrobras oil company and Odebrecht, Latin America’s largest construction company, is one of the most serious corruption cases in Brazilian history. Odebrecht was found to have funnelled bribes to employees of the Brazilian state oil company Petrobras via Swiss banks.
The OAG first opened criminal proceedings against the financial intermediary in 2015. It has now gathered enough evidence to indict the person under the accelerated procedure of the country’s highest criminal court. The accused will have to answer charges of “complicity in the bribery of foreign public officials” and “simple and aggravated money laundering”.
“The good bilateral cooperation with the Brazilian and Portuguese prosecuting authorities has contributed to this result. Criminal proceedings for money laundering of funds derived from corruption had already been opened in Brazil and Portugal against the same individual,” said the OAG in a statement on TuesdayExternal link.
Switzerland accepted a request from the Brazilian and Portuguese authorities to handle the case in order to avoid multiple parallel investigations. So far 60 criminal proceedings are pending at the OAG in connection to the Petrobras affair, including two against Swiss financial institutions. The Brazilian authorities have taken over 15 cases. In terms of ill-gotten gains, Switzerland has seized assets worth over CHF620 million (around $627 million) of which CHF390 million has been returned to Brazil.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Documentary portrays Swiss teenagers forced to return to parents’ homeland
Swiss village gets half a million amid rockfall threat as some residents resist evacuation
This content was published on
The Swiss village of Brienz has been granted CHF500,000 due to a rockfall threat. But some residents are questioning the authorities’ evacuation orders.
This content was published on
Starting Wednesday, Swiss researchers will have access to the European Research Council’s Proof of Concept Grants, said the European Commission.
Switzerland fined for denying asylum for gay Iranian
This content was published on
Switzerland violated the prohibition on inhuman treatment by considering that a gay Iranian could be returned to his country.
Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes
This content was published on
A research team from the Lake Geneva region has identified persistent dysfunctions in glucose regulation in women with gestational diabetes. In the long term, this can increase the risk of adult-onset diabetes by up to ten times.
Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday
This content was published on
The village of Brienz-Brinzauls in eastern Switzerland, which is threatened by a rockfall, must be evacuated by 1pm on Sunday. All residents must leave the village.
This content was published on
A former judge of the Graubünden Administrative Court in eastern Switzerland has been found guilty of rape, sexual harassment and threatening a former trainee.
Costs and care time increase in Swiss retirement and nursing homes
This content was published on
In 2023 the costs of retirement and nursing homes increased by 5% compared to 2022 and those of assistance and care at home by 7%. Together, they amounted to CHF15 billion.
This content was published on
Almost half of the population in Switzerland shows clear to pronounced signs of smartphone addiction, according to a survey.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland hands CHF365m Petrobras-Odebrecht assets to Brazil
This content was published on
Giving a summary of progressExternal link on the investigations on Tuesday, the OAGExternal link said the latest tranche of CHF9 million was sent to Brazil at the end of March “in favour of injured parties.” The “Operation Car Wash” investigation into the state-run Petrobras oil company and Odebrecht, Latin America’s largest construction company, is one…
Pressure mounts on Swiss commodity traders in Brazil corruption probe
This content was published on
Pressure is growing on commodity trading firms with ties to Switzerland for their alleged involvement in the “Car Wash” corruption scandal in Brazil.
Swiss attorney general gets increasing international requests
This content was published on
While the total number of cases opened by the Office of the Attorney General dropped in 2018, requests for international legal assistance continued to rise.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.