Keppel admits ‘suspicious’ payments made in Petrobras scandal

Singapore’s Keppel Corporation has admitted internal investigations have shown certain transactions associated with Zwi Skornicki from Eagle do Brasil, an agent of Keppel FELS in Brazil, may be suspicious.

Until now, the Singaporean conglomerate has constantly denied any allegations of involvement in the Petrobras corruption scandal.

Prosecutors in Brazil have been investigating possible bribes paid off on contracts signed by state-run oil company Petrobras and shipbuilder Sete Brasil Participações with Keppel FELS since February.

Keppel has previously denied paying any bribes in the notorious scheme whereby contractor firms made graft payments to get inflated contracts for business with Petrobras.

However, in June former Petrobras executive Pedro Jose Barusco Filho testified to Brazilian authorities that the agents for Keppel and another Singapore builder, Sembcorp Marine, forked out over $9.5m to Petrobras, its oil rig chartering unit Sete Brasil and Brazil’s Workers’ Party to procure 12 contracts to build drillships.

Keppel says that it has notified authorities in the relevant jurisdictions of its intention to cooperate in connection with the transactions.