Federal police kicks off stage 19 of Operation Car Wash

The Federal Police launched this morning (Sep. 21) the 19th stage of Operation Car Wash, entitled Nessun Dorma (nobody sleeps, in free translation from Italian). A total of 35 police officers served 11 judicial warrants—seven search and seizure, one pre-charge remand, one temporary custody and two forceful presentation (when the person is taken to the police for giving testimonies)—in Florianópolis, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.

According to the Federal Police, pre-charge remand warrant is against Engevix former executive José Antunes Sobrinho. At this stage of the operation, the police investigate people who may have acted as middlemen in the payment of bribes to public officials abroad, through contracts signed by the oil giant's international board.

"It was found that one of the companies headquartered in Brazil received about $5.13 million from 2007 to 2013 from contractors already under investigation in the operation. They are charged with paying bribes to get favoritism in contracts with the state-owned enterprise," the police declared.

Prisoners are being taken to the Federal Police Superintendency building in Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, where the probes under Operation Car Wash are being conducted.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta