WSJ: CORRUPÇÃO NO METRÔ
DE SÃO PAULO
Que político levou bola ?
Paulo Henrique Amorim
Máximas e Mínimas 1112
. O jornal Wall Street Journal de hoje –
dia 06 – publica reportagem sobre a investigação
de autoridades francesas e suíças
sobre a empresa francesa de engenharia pesada
Alstom, que teria pago milhões de dólares
em propinas para obter contratos na Ásia
e na América do Sul.
. Segundo o mais influente jornal de economia
dos Estados Unidos, autoridades policiais suíças
se encontraram com policiais brasileiros para
discutir o pagamento de propinas no valor de
US$ 6,8 milhões que a Alstom teria pago
para conseguir um contrato de US$ 45 milhões
em equipamentos para o metrô de São
Paulo.
. Há investigação também,
diz o WSJ, sobre pagamentos suspeitos no valor
de US$ 200 milhões relacionados com um
projeto de uma hidrelétrica no Brasil.
. Mais adiante, o WSJ diz que para conseguir
vender ao metrô de São Paulo, a
Alstom negociou com um brasileiro “que
se dizia intermediário de um político
brasileiro não identificado”.
. Este homem ofereceu apoio político
ao projeto da Alstom, em troca de uma comissão
de 7,5%.
. O Conversa Afiada vai tentar saber o que o
metrô de São Paulo tem a dizer
sobre isso.
. E o Ministério das Minas, também.
. Leia abaixo o que mais diz o Wall
Street Journal, na edição de hoje.
Some of the projects involved, including
the São Paulo, Brazil, subway, were funded
in part by the World Bank. It is unclear whether
the World Bank is also looking into the matter.
A spokesman declined to comment.
In February, a French investigative magistrate
questioned Alstom's general counsel, Fred Einbinder,
and its compliance chief, Jean-Daniel Laine.
Alstom's spokesman confirms that the two executives
were questioned, but declines to provide details.
In statements to the French police, Mr. Mignot,
a former Alstom consultant, and Yves Barbier
de la Serre, a former chief operating officer
of an Alstom subsidiary, said that between 1998
and 2002, the company paid commissions to win
contracts, using cash from a "caisse noire,"
or slush fund, according to a summary of their
statements reviewed by the Journal.
Mr. Mignot said in a recent interview that he
told the police the funds weren't recorded in
Alstom's regular financial books, but he believed
the arrangement was legal because it was ordered
by senior managers at Alstom.
Mr. Barbier de la Serre, who left Alstom in
2001, said in a brief interview that the allegations
against Alstom are "unproved." He
declined to discuss details of his statement
to the French police.
Alstom's spokesman confirms that both men were
affiliated with the company.
Requests for Help
Swiss authorities have formally requested help
from French and Brazilian investigators. Their
written requests name 24 people suspected of
either receiving bribes or assisting in their
payment, according to people familiar with the
documents. Some of the Alstom money was channeled
through accounts controlled by Messrs. Barbier
de la Serre and Mignot, according to documents
cited in their requests.
The list of names includes one Brazilian who
is said to have negotiated with Alstom officials.
He claimed to be an intermediary for an unnamed
Brazilian politician, according to an Alstom
document describing the meeting, which was reviewed
by the Journal. The man offered political support
for a São Paulo subway project in exchange
for a 7.5% commission, the document indicates.
It is unclear if such a payment was ever made.
The Brazilian man couldn't be located for comment.
Alstom won the contract in the late 1990s and
completed the work several years later, according
to World Bank records.
Securing the Deal
Investigators are also looking into Alstom's
contract to help build a $1.4 billion hydroelectric
power plant in Itá, Brazil, a project
completed in 2001. Alstom documents reviewed
by investigators indicate that the company budgeted
around $200 million -- 15% of the contract value
-- to pay commissions to secure the deal, according
to Alstom documents. The documents specify that
half of those commissions, equaling 7.5% of
the contract value, should be paid through offshore
bank accounts.
Prior to the passage of the antibribery law
in 2000, French law allowed companies to take
tax deductions for 7.5% commissions on international
sales, so long as those payments were declared
to tax authorities. The investigators are looking
into whether Alstom channeled a portion of the
payments through accounts at offshore companies,
because bribe recipients in Brazil, Venezuela
and Indonesia demanded 15% commissions, according
to documents connected to the investigation.
Em tempo: o Ministro das Minas
e Energia em 2001 era o então senador
José Jorge. No momento, ele dirige a
CEB, Companhia de Energia de Brasília.
José Jorge, que foi candidato a vice
de Geraldo Alckmin em 2006, está viajando
e só volta na semana que vem. A assessoria
de imprensa do Metrô de São Paulo
promete divulgar nota oficial. O presidente
da Eletrosul, subsidiária da Eletrobrás,
em 2001, era João Paulo Karam Kleinubing.
O Conversa Afiada tenta localizá-lo.
Clique
aqui para ler a nota divulgada pelo Metrô
de São Paulo.
Leia também:
Metroviários:
Metrô tenta justificar cratera da Linha
4
MP:
empreiteiros da cratera do Metrô atrapalham
investigação
