Former Petrobras manager arrested in 39th stage of Operation Car Wash

Former Petrobras executive manager Roberto Gonçalves was arrested Tuesday morning (Mar. 28) in Boa Vista, capital city of the northern state of Roraima, during the 39th stage of Operation Car Wash. At first, the Federal Police had reported that the preventive arrest warrant had been served in Rio de Janeiro, as the information Gonçalves was actually in Roraima did not come in until much later. He is expected to be taken to Curitiba early in the morning tomorrow (29).

Roberto Gonçalves succeeded Pedro Barusco as executive manager for Engineering and Services at Petrobras from March 2011 to May 2012. He was first targeted by the Car Wash probe following plea bargain statements.

Dubbed Operation Parallel, the 39th phase of the police crackdown was launched at the request of prosecutors in the southern state of Paraná. In addition to the preventive arrest order, five search and seizure warrants were issued in Rio de Janeiro. All warrants have been exercised, investigators reported. The targets this time are natural and legal persons linked to broker firm Advalor Distribuidora de Títulos e Valores Mobiliários LTDA.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira