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Charges will be brought against the presidents of Brazil's two largest construction companies and 10 others detained听in the latest phase of a major corruption probe, investigators confirmed听Monday.
All 12 suspects detained Friday in the fourteenth and latest round of arrests in Operation Lava Jato (Car Wash) will be charged in the coming days, Federal Police chief听Igor Rom谩rio de Paula told GloboNews.
"Proceedings may extend听to next week, but charges will be brought against all of them," de Paula听said, adding that investigators听had "sufficient proof" to justify the preventive arrests.
Marcelo Odebrecht,听CEO of Odebrecht SA --Latin America's top construction conglomerate -- and听Ot谩vio Azevedo, head of Andrade Gutierrez SA --听Brazil's second-largest construction and engineering company -- are among those now being held in Curitiba, in southern Brazil.
About 220 police in four states听carried out the听detentions, which also included 38 search and seizure orders. Those detained are being investigated for a range of crimes including money laundering, corruption, price-fixing, procurement fraud, and embezzling public funds.
Lava Jato investigators听have听centered their inquiries on corruption allegations at state-controlled听oilgiant听Petrobras. Business executives have made up the majority of those arrested so far in the wide-ranging investigation but prosecutors have since turned to political targets, arresting the former treasurer of the ruling Workers' Party.
Odebrecht is accused of leading a $2.1 billion kickback scheme at Petrobras. The construction giant, whose offices in S茫o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have been raided by police, said in a statement that the arrests were "unnecessary" as the company, which operates in 20 countries worldwide, was already helping authorities with their investigations.
Marcelo Odebrecht's arrest is seen as a major milestone for the investigation, as many believe he could name names to secure a plea bargain for a lesser sentence, if eventually convicted.
Investigators have accused听a string of construction companies of being involved in the corruption scandal, in which inflated contracts听between the听oil听giant and the companies were agreed, with executives,听politicians and money changers all allegedly听taking a cut of the听difference skimmed from听the contracts.
By听Benjamin Tavener
Anadolu Agency
enerji@aa.com.tr
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