RIO DE JANEIRO--Federal prosecutors in Brazil said Friday they
are seeking roughly $1.5 billion in compensation from six companies
accused of paying bribes to state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro
SA, and are looking to ban those companies from government
contracts, the latest step in a corruption scandal that has rattled
Brazil's biggest construction firms.
Prosecutors said the total, which includes compensation to the
federal treasury and fines for alleged "improper conduct," should
be paid by construction companies Camargo Corrêa, Sanko, Mendes
Júnior, OAS SA, Galvão Engenharia and Engevix.
Other companies that prosecutors allege took part in the
corruption, but weren't among those prosecutors are seeking
repayment from, include Brazil's biggest construction firm
Odebrecht SA, and Swedish firm Skanska AB.
Camargo Corrêa said it will respond to formal charges if and
when they are presented. Sanko said it hadn't yet received official
notification from authorities and declined to comment further. OAS
"vehemently denies" the allegations, and said it will defend itself
when officially notified by authorities. Galvão declined to
comment. Engevix said it would take appropriate measures when
notified of this by its lawyers.
The others didn't immediately respond to a request for
comment.
Petrobras has said it was a victim of the scheme and was
cooperating with authorities. Odebrecht has denied wrongdoing and
said it was cooperating with the probe. Mendes Júnior has said it
was cooperating with the investigation.
Prosecutors didn't specify what steps will be taken next to
enforce the requested penalties.
The six companies are among 16 total that prosecutors allege
paid hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to Petrobras
executives to win contracts, mainly between 2004 and 2012.
The investigation, nicknamed Operation Car Wash, has seen nearly
40 people--including two Petrobras executives--charged with crimes
from money laundering to fraud. Prosecutors said Friday that the
investigation is ongoing.
Several of the construction firms have been hit in recent months
with credit-ratings downgrades, and OAS has missed a bond
payment.
"The proposed actions embody the conviction that all should be
punished equally in proportion to the gravity of their actions,"
prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol, the coordinator of the Operation Car
Wash task force, said in a statement. "Companies commit corruption
because the benefits are greater than the costs. We must reverse
this formula."
Paul Kiernan contributed to this article.
Write to Will Connors at william.connors@wsj.com
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