Last runaways in Petrobras scandal turn themselves in to Federal Police

The two last suspects in the illicit doings under investigation by the Federal Police as part of Operation Car Wash have been taken into custody. They are Adarico Negromonte Filho and executive Fernando Soares, and had been considered  fugitives of the law.

Negromonte Filho, brother of former Minister of Cities Mário Negromonte, turned himself in on Monday morning (Nov 24) in Curitiba, capital city of the southern state of Paraná, where court proceedings have been underway. He is suspected of having worked for foreign currency dealer Alberto Youssef in an overpricing scheme involving contracts of Brazil's state-run oil giant Petrobras, as well as bribery of public officials and money embezzlement.

On Friday (21), Negromante Filho's lawyer made an unsuccessful attempt to appeal against his client's temporary detention, as, in his view, Filho's liberty would pose no obstruction to the investigations in progress.

Fernando Soares, in turn, handed himself in on Tuesday (Nov 18). Federal judge Sérgio Moro, in charge of the court proceedings, ruled last Friday Soares's temporary detention. The judge claims that a preventive detention has a shorter term than that of its temporary counterpart, and that there is evidence that Soares was paid millions through bank accounts overseas, which remain classified. Moro further argues that his liberty might in fact hinder investigations.

In a statement given Friday (21) to the Federal Police, Soares denied Youssef's claim that he was involved with the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), the biggest party in the government's coalition. The dealer, who is also under custody, had declared, under a plea bargain, that Soares received, on behalf of the party, the bribery money paid by companies interested in signing contracts with the energy giant.

Other than Negromante Filho and Soares, Operation Car Wash has brought 24 people under investigation—most of whom connected with major Brazilian construction firms. Launched in March by the Federal Police, the probe investigates a criminal ring that might have stolen nearly $4 billion from public accounts.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira