Odebrecht executive arrested in Switzerland
Fernando Migliaccio, an executive at Odebrecht construction firm, has been in jail in Switzerland since last Wednesday (Feb. 17). In a document sent to the Brazilian Federal Police, the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police announced today (Feb. 23) that Migliaccio's arrest has been ordered by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General. The reasons for detention, however, have not been reported. Migliaccio has also been issued an arrest warrant to be executed by the 23rd phase of Operation Car Wash launched Monday (Feb. 22).
Odebrecht construction firm, probed under Operation Car Wash for public funds embezzled, is also the subject of an autonomous investigation conducted by Swiss authorities.
The executive is suspected of managing the accounts of offshore firms linked to Odebrecht that would be used for illicit money transfers to adman João Santana, according to the Operation Car Wash task force. Yesterday, when the 23rd phase of Operation Car Wash was launched, dubbed Acarajé, Federal Police agents went to Migliaccio's two addresses, but have not found him.
Another Odebrecht executive to have prison ordered at the new phase of Operation Car Wash was Benedicto Barbosa da Silva Junior, CEO of the construction firm. He turned himself in to the Federal Police in Rio de Janeiro yesterday afternoon and has been transferred to the Federal Police headquarters in Curitiba.
The 23rd phase of Operation Car Wash has also issued arrest warrant for Workers' Party's election campaigns adman João Santana and his wife, Mônica Moura, who arrived in Brazil today; engineer Zwi Skornicki, appointed as the scheme operator; Vinícius Veiga Borin, director of a financial advisory firm linked to an Odebrecht offshore; and Odebrecht employee Maria Lúcia Guimarães Tavares. Except for Zwi Skornicki, who had been ordered a preventive detention, the other suspects will be temporarily detained for five days.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Odebrecht executive arrested in Switzerland
