Crime fighters in Switzerland and Brazil have pledged to
intensify co-operation to resolve the sprawling corruption case linked
to state oil firm Petrobras in which about 700 million-Swiss francs
($701m) remain frozen in Switzerland.
Switzerland has so far returned roughly 365-million Swiss francs
($365.6m) to Brazil related to
Petrobras and construction firm
Odebrecht, the Swiss office of the attorney-general (OAG) said on
Tuesday, including 9-million francs in March.
About 70 related criminal proceedings are underway in Switzerland,
two of which are scrutinising Swiss financial groups, the OAG said after
Swiss attorney-general Michael Lauber and Brazilian prosecutor Gen
Raquel Dodge met in Brasilia on Monday.
“The two counterparts signed a joint declaration reaffirming
their commitment to continue and intensify their co-operation,” the OAG
said in a statement.
More than 130 businessmen and politicians have been convicted in
Brazil in the case, focused on political kickbacks and money-laundering
at Petrobras and Odebrecht. Former Brazilian resident Luiz Inácio Lula
da Silva is serving a 12-year prison sentence.
About 15 criminal cases opened in Switzerland have been passed along
to authorities in Brazil. The probe has also swept up leading global
commodity traders based in Switzerland. The Swiss are assisting
Brazilian prosecutors investigating alleged bribery and corruption links
to Vitol, Trafigura and Glencore.
- Reuters
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