Brazil’s federal police served five arrest warrants and conducted search and seizure operations in three states on Monday, in the latest round of a sweeping corruption probe around state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA.
Police said contractors paid at least 39 million reais ($11.99 million) in bribes to executives of Petrobras, as the oil company is known, and rigged public auctions at Petrobras’ research center Cenpes.
Part of the funds allegedly embezzled were directed to the leftist Workers Party, the ruling party in Brazil from 2003 to May 2016.
The party’s former treasurer, Paulo Ferreira, was already in custody for a separate probe but now faces another arrest warrant for his alleged role in the Petrobras fraud, police said at a press conference.
Representatives for the Workers Party and Ferreira were not immediately available to comment.
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