Rio de Janeiro, May 9 (EFE).- Brazilian state-controlled oil giant Petrobras said it has filed civil lawsuits against contractors accused of taking part in a scheme to overcharge the company for contracts.
The Rio de Janeiro-based company said in a statement Friday that it has thus far filed suits against construction groups Engevix and Mendes Junior and in the coming weeks plans to take legal action against the firms Camargo Correa, OAS and Galvao Engenharia.
Petrobras is demanding an estimated 1.28 billion reais ($429.5 million) in compensation from these companies, including the repayment of money allegedly stolen, fines and "moral" damages.
The oil giant has estimated that it overpaid an estimated 6.2 billion reais (some $2.1 billion) for contracts in recent years because of the graft scheme.
Five former Petrobras executives and a score of executives at leading Brazilian construction firms have been arrested thus far in the investigation, which began just over a year ago.
The construction companies involved in the scheme, which investigators say dates back more than 10 years, would inflate their invoices, splitting the extra money with corrupt Petrobras officials while setting aside some of the loot to pay off politicians who provided cover for the graft. EFE
