The Public Ministry of the TCU (Court of Accounts of the Union) entered this Friday (1) with a representation of the court to investigate possible government interference in Petrobras with the change in command of the state-owned company.
The piece, signed by prosecutor Lucas Furtado, also asks that economist Adriano Pires, the new nominee for the post, only be appointed after an investigation by the CGU (General Comptroller of the Union) and the Ethics Committee on a possible conflict of interest, due to the his performance in the sector.
Pires directs the CBIE (Brazilian Center for Infrastructure), a consultancy specializing in regulation and strategy for the energy sector, which provides services to governments and companies.
In practice, although the exchange was announced this week, it would only take place in two weeks, at the company’s General Shareholders’ Meeting.
On the occasion, the government presents its list of representatives of the board of directors – which does not include the name of General Joaquim Silva e Luna, fired by Jair Bolsonaro (PL) this week.
“The abrupt change in the composition of the state-owned company’s presidency and its board of directors follows the announced intentions of intervention in Petrobras’ price policy, a situation that calls for the prompt action of the Federal Audit Court”, says the representation of the MP from TCU.
Furtado cites the times when President Jair Bolsonaro complained about the state-owned company’s pricing policy, and has even defended change.
He also says that the change in command of the company was “abrupt and without prior technical justification” and “brings insecurity and fragility in the governance of the state-owned company, causing economic consequences that can be harmful to its financial and operational security”.
After the mega-increase announced by Petrobras in early March, the then president of the state-owned company, General Silva e Luna, came into the sights of Bolsonaro, who had been publicly criticizing his management.
“The price of fuel in Brazil is priceless and, unfortunately, Petrobras does not collaborate with anything,” said the chief executive, in an interview with TV Ponta Negra, from Rio Grande do Norte, in March.
On Monday (28), the president decided to dismiss the general, once one of his favorite generals in the federal administration, when he commanded Itaipu.
The departure of Silva e Luna repeats that of Roberto Castello Branco, fired in 2021 by Bolsonaro after the company announced the fourth increase in diesel and gasoline prices in the year.
Such as sheet showed, the general feels betrayed and disrespected by Bolsonaro.
According to interlocutors, Silva e Luna — who months earlier had been in direct contact with the president — was only informed on the day of his resignation that the Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque, had met several times with his successor, including the day before, to discuss his exoneration.
In a meeting described as cold, Bento Albuquerque informed Silva and Luna about his resignation, recounting the series of meetings he had had with the new president of Petrobras. The hearing at which Silva e Luna was informed of his dismissal took place just three hours before Bolsonaro’s decision was publicly announced.
The day after his resignation, Silva e Luna said, in a lecture at the STM (Superior Military Court) that the company cannot do “partisan politics”, and that there is no place for adventurers in it.
He also said that “it is difficult for many people” to understand the role of the state-owned company and that he has already explained the price policy to “high-level authorities”, but that they enter the “emotional side” and question why he not being able to make public policy at Petrobras.
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