Youssef says bribe money went to political parties
Alberto Youssef leaves custody and heads for a Federal Court hearing
In a testimony given to the Federal Police, black-market currency dealer Alberto Youssef says that the Progressive Party (PP), the Workers' Party (PT), and former Petrobras Services Director Renato Duque received money from one of the people under investigation in Operation Car Wash.
The statements, made in October last year, were released in accordance with a ruling by Federal Judge Sérgio Moro. The order stipulates that the secrecy of the testimonies given under the plea bargain be broken. However, excerpts naming certain authorities have not been disclosed, as high-ranking government officials in Brazil are specially protected by law.
Alberto Youssef
Youssef said he delivered money in two offices belonging to Júlio Camargo (a consultant whose name was among the first identified by Operation Car Wash), in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro after bringing to Brazil amounts sent overseas by Camargo. The currency dealer further reports that, before giving the money over to the consultant, he would “keep the percentage due to PP,” to former Petrobras Director Paulo Roberto Costa, and former PP advisor João Cláudio Genu.
According to Youssef, the money delivered in Camargo's São Paulo office “served as payments from the companies Camargo Corrêa and Mitsui Toyo to the Workers' Party, and the ones who had been given the job of [receiving] the payments at the time were João Vaccari and José Dirceu.” He said that those transactions in Carmargo's offices were made in 2005 and in 2012, and total $9.43 million.
Alberto Youssef explained that Júlio Carmago did not withdraw money in Brazil, in order to mislead public authorities about the source of the money, which would eventually “be used for bribes and slush funds within the parties.” He adds that Camargo needed reais in cash for the transactions in Brazil, which is why he had looked for the currency dealer.
Still according to the whistleblower, the kickback scheme with the parties consisted of fraudulent consulting contracts signed by Camargo's companies and the firms Camargo Corrêa, Mitsui Toyo, and Pirelli. The amounts were sent to bank accounts overseas. After that, they were made available in Brazil and were transfered to their receivers.
Renato Duque's defense denies that he received illicit payments during the period he was Petrobras's services director. João Vaccari and PT also refute the allegations.
In a note released after his consultancy JD Consultoria had its fiscal secrecy broken, former Minister and Federal Deputy José Dirceu said he had not been targeted by Operation Car Wash, and that he had submitted his company's contracts and financial data to Judge Sérgio Moro.
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Youssef says bribe money went to political parties
