In Brazil, new police operation arrests former Eletronuclear CEO

Brazil's Federal Police launched another operation this morning (Jul. 6) to investigate contractor graft in the Angra 3 nuclear power plant project in Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro state. The plant is operated by Eletronuclear, one of the subsidiaries of Brazil's state-run energy corporation Eletrobras.

One of the targets of the operation is Eletronuclear's former CEO, Othon Luiz Pinheiro da Silva, arrested this morning in the condominium where he lived in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro city. He stepped down last year after being implicated in plea bargain statements heard under the Petrobras corruption investigation, Operation Car Wash, and was held in custody on charges of receiving up to $1.3 million in kickbacks. He was confined in his home.

Operation Pripyat, a spin-off operation arising from stage 16 of Operation Car Wash, investigates a “contractors' club” for kickbacks in connection with the plant project. According to Federal Police, six Eletronuclear employees are in custody.

About 130 police officers serve three warrants for temporary detention, nine for forceful presentation (when the person is taken to the police for giving testimonies), and 26 search warrants. The court orders are being carried out in Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul.

The police investigate crimes of corruption, embezzlement, criminal organization and money laundering.

Pripyat is the name of the ghost town devastated by the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster, in Ukraine.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta/ Mayra Borges