Brazil's Prosecutor Reopens Saab Jet Fighter Purchase
05 Februar 2016 - 2:40PM
Dow Jones News
SÃ O PAULO—A Brazilian prosecutor said late Thursday he will
reopen an investigation into alleged wrongdoings surrounding the
purchase of Saab Gripen jet fighters by the Brazilian Air Force,
after new evidence of irregularities emerged.
In April 2015, prosecutors opened an investigation into alleged
corruption during negotiations between Sweden-based Saab and the
Air Force, but the probe was closed a few months later due to a
lack of evidence, according to a statement by the prosecutor's
office in Brasí lia.
Federal prosecutors have now decided to reopen the probe, as new
evidence of irregularities arose during a separate federal
investigation into whether companies have bribed Brazilian tax
officials and abused their influence. According to those
investigations, people linked with these companies influenced
Brazilian government authorities and tax officials to obtain
advantages in certain tax disputes.
"We are happy to cooperate with investigative authorities in
order to safeguard the integrity of the business we conduct," a
Saab spokesman said in a written statement sent to The Wall Street
Journal.
The Brazilian air force and federal government declined to
comment for this article, but both had denied any wrongdoing
previously.
The investigation into suspected tax fraud, known as Operation
Zealots, was launched last year by authorities, including
prosecutors and Federal Police.
At the end of last year, federal police arrested Mauro
Marcondes, a former vice president at Brazil's auto makers'
association Anfavea, on accusations that he had acted as a
middleman between authorities and companies seeking to lower their
tax bills.
"Mauro Marcondes served as a lobbyist for the Saab company with
the Brazilian government," federal prosecutors said in a statement
posted to an official website. "The suspicion is that the work may
have involved corruption of current and former public
servants."
Mr. Marcondes's representatives couldn't immediately be reached
for comment, but he has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Brazil selected Saab to provide jet fighters at the end of 2013,
a decision that was seen as a surprise after years of negotiations
with rival suppliers in the U.S. and France. The latter countries
are widely seen as more important political allies to Brazil than
Sweden.
Write to Rogerio Jelmayer at rogerio.jelmayer@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 05, 2016 08:25 ET (13:25 GMT)
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