Brazil ex-president says he never interfered with Petrobras contracts

In a note issued Friday (Jun. 3), Brazil's ex-president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, often referred to by Brazilians as FHC, said he never interfered with contracts from the government-controlled oil firm Petrobras during his two tenures. In the statement, he also says his son, Paulo Henrique Cardoso, was never linked to the oil giant.

Cardoso's note comes after a plea bargain statement by former Petrobras International Director Nestor Cerveró, according to which Paulo Henrique was connected to the company PRS, which had a contract with Petrobras. The claims are unfounded, FHC declared.

“Paulo Henrique has never had connections with PRS. He's never heard of it, so he had no commercial ties with said company, much less with Petrobras's purchases. More detailed clarification can be provided by the experts running the company during the period in question,” the note reads.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira