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Cultura

Petrobras CEO Bendine says has 'full autonomy' to run ailing company


    SAO PAULO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - The incoming chief executive officer of state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Aldemir Bendine, said on Tuesday that the company's board gave him full autonomy to dictate its own pricing policy and protect cash.

    In an interview with TV Globo's flagship nightly news show, Bendine said media reports that the company was preparing to book 88 billion reais ($31 billion) in an asset writedown due to corruption did not reflect "the reality of the company."

    Independent auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers are accompanying PETROBRAS (APBR.82)(PETR3.BR)(XPBR.MC)(APBR.82)(PETR4.83)(PETR3.BR)"day by day" in the task of preparing the release of its results, he said. Bendine, who took over as CEO on Friday, said the company's priority is a sound management of cash and indebtedness.

    ($1 = 2.8338 Brazilian reais)

    (Reporting by Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Anthony Boadle; Editing by Chris Reese)