By Jake Spring and also Pedro Fonseca BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 18 (Reuters)– Brazilian authorities on Wednesday targeted Maersk and also various other firms for presumably paying kickbacks to obtain a side in safeguarding delivery agreements with state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, in the most recent stage of an expansive graft probe.

Federal district attorneys stated in a declaration that Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk, the globe’s biggest delivering firm, was associated with presumably paying $3.4 million in kickbacks connected to 11 delivery agreements with Petrobras, worth 592 million reais ($ 141.07 million).

Maersk verified in a declaration that its workplaces in Rio de Janeiro and also Sao Paulo were looked by Brazilian authorities, including that it would certainly co-operate completely with authorities. Petrobras stated it remains to deal with authorities, including the firm itself is a target of corruption.

Twelve search and also confiscate warrants were executed on Wednesday, district attorneys stated, in order to enhance their examination.

Maersk met Brazilian detectives as much back as 2014 in connection with its transactions with Petrobras throughout the beginning of the corruption examination.

This is the 70th stage of the Car Wash probe that revealed considerable graft, overthrowing the nation’s political facility by linking thousands of authorities and also execs.

Prosecutors furthermore called delivery brokers Tide Maritime and also Ferchem as targets in the probe.

An agent of Tide Maritime stated the firm is uninformed of the problem and also remains to run usually, decreasing additional remark. Ferchem might not quickly be grabbed remark.

The 3 firms are being examined in connection with agreements with Petrobras amounting to greater than 5 billion reais ($ 1.19 billion), district attorneys stated.

Companies presumably rewarded Petrobras workers for blessed info on the routine of ships utilized to carry oil and also acquired items in order to acquire a side in bidding process for agreements, government authorities stated in a declaration.

In the situation of Maersk, the firm utilized a brokerage firm that passed kickbacks to a Petrobras supervisor, that has actually been proactively helping authorities in their examination, district attorneys affirmed.

The reality that Maersk would certainly utilize a brokerage firm with little experience excited uncertainties, aiding trigger better examination, they stated.

“We were able to verify that Maersk had chosen to hire a totally inexperienced broker, without any prior track record in the sector,” government district attorney Marcelo Ribeiro informed a press instruction.

($ 1 = 4.1964 reais)

(Reporting by Pedro Fonseca in Rio de Janeiro and also Jake Spring in Brasilia Additional coverage by Jacob Gronholt-Pederson and also Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen, Stephen Eisenhammer in Sao Paulo and also Ricardo Brito in Brasilia; modifying by Louise Heavens and also Nick Zieminski)

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