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Court papers allege Singapore firms paid over $9.5m in bribes for Petrobras contracts

Prominent Singapore companies Keppel and Sembcorp Marine are accused in US court documents of paying specific amounts in the Petrobras corruption scandal, according to Singapore newspaper The Straits Times.

Both companies had previously denied paying any bribes in the notorious scheme whereby contractor firms made graft payments to get inflated contracts for business with Petrobras, Brazil’s state oil firm.

The court documents include allegations by former Petrobras executive Pedro Jose Barusco Filho – who testified to Brazilian authorities in return for leniency – that agents for Keppel and Sembcorp forked over $9.5m to Petrobras, its oil rig chartering unit Sete Brasil and Brazil’s Workers’ Party to procure 12 contracts to build drillships.

The case in US court is being brought by US-based investment firm EIG to recover $221m it invested in the now bankrupt Sete Brasil. Sembcorp and Keppel are among the defendants.

Donal Scully

With 28 years experience writing and editing for newspapers in the UK and Hong Kong, Donal is now based in California from where he covers the Americas for Splash as well as ensuring the site is loaded through the Western Hemisphere timezone.
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