The opposition leader in the Senate, Randolfe Rodrigues (Rede-AP), filed this Monday (27) with a petition with the Federal Supreme Court to open an inquiry to investigate possible interference by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in the state-owned company. .
The petition also calls for the search, seizure and expertise of the cell phone that was used by former Petrobras president Roberto Castello Branco.
The request to open an investigation to investigate possible interference by Jair Bolsonaro in Petrobras came after revelations about possible evidence of “crimes” that would have been committed by the president.
A report from the Metrópoles portal showed an exchange of messages between a group of economists on a social network, in particular between Castello Branco and the former president of Banco do Brasil Rubem Novaes. The former president of Petrobras said that the corporate cell phone that was returned to the state company contained messages and audio that could incriminate President Jair Bolsonaro.
Castello Branco, then, says he returned the device “intact” to the state-owned company.
“What can be seen is that the imperious attempt by the President of the Republic to interfere in Petrobras to the detriment of the good protection of the public interest and property, with a clear merely electoral purpose and distorted from the constitutional dynamics, is evident”, says an excerpt from the petition .
The petition still goes on to argue that the possible crimes that would have been committed would be malfeasance, passive corruption or embezzlement, criminal condescension and violation of professional secrecy.
“Given the seriousness of the facts, the need for the Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Supreme Court to get involved in the case is evident, for the correct criminal prosecution that may be appropriate”, says the text of the petition.
“Unfortunately, what we see is that the President of the Republic, once again, uses the tactic of outsourcing responsibilities to hide his direct and unequivocal authorship of acts and facts that harm the Brazilian population”, completes the petition, citing the Bolsonaro’s recent movements with criticism of Petrobras and state governors.
In addition to asking the PGR to open an investigation to investigate interference in the state-owned company, the petition by Randolfe Rodrigues’ team – who is coordinator of the campaign of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – also asks for the testimonies of Castello Branco and Novaes. It also requests urgent treatment in relation to the expertise on the mentioned cell phone.
“Such a precautionary measure is, by assumption, urgent, as there is a real risk of imminent erasure of all data that may involve the President of the Republic in criminal acts. After all, if the President of the Republic interferes in the management of public assets, that belongs to all Brazilians and used exclusively for their own benefit, it is the right of all Brazilians to know the facts”, completes the text.
Petrobras is in the midst of a controversy, due to the rise in fuel prices. After the state-owned company announced a new adjustment, Bolsonaro and the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), began an offensive that resulted in the resignation of then president José Mauro Coelho – the third exchange in the Bolsonaro government.
Also on Monday (27), Petrobras’ board of directors confirmed the appointment of Caio Paes de Andrade to the company’s presidency. He was also elected to integrate the collegiate, a precondition for him to head the state-owned company.
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