The last two months were not easy for brothers José and Germán Efromovich, shareholders of Avianca Holdings. On July 14, the court decreed the bankruptcy of the airline Avianca Brasil. And, on the morning of this Wednesday, August 19, the Brazilian Federal Police arrested the brothers in an operation linked to the Lava Jato case, but outside the airline. The brothers were arrested in São Paulo for alleged fraud in contracts of the Ilha SA shipyard (EISA), belonging to the executives, with the state-owned Transpetro, a Petrobras subsidiary responsible for the transportation of fuel and the import and export of oil and derivatives.
Investigators suspect corruption and money laundering in the purchase and sale of ships. Transpetro would have had a loss of 611.2 million reais (111.1 million dollars) for contracts with EISA, controlled by the Synergy Group, linked to the brothers, between deferrals, suspension of debt, irregularities in the agreements, irregular delivery of a Panamax vessel and non-delivery of three other vessels. The suspicion is that the businessmen paid 40 million reais (7.2 million dollars) in exchange for a contract of 857 million to supply ships. According to the investigators, the bribes have been deposited through various transfers to bank accounts abroad.
In an attempt to conceal the payments, companies linked to the shipyard and the brothers have signed a false investment contract in a third foreign oil company, also belonging to the Efromovichs, in Ecuador, which provided for the payment of a fine of 28 million euros. real in case of cancellation of the contribution.
The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) of Brazil reported that the Justice agreed with the imprisonment of those investigated. However, she later benefited them with house arrest due to the covid-19 pandemic.
This new stage of the Lava Jato case comes as a result of the statement of Sergio Machado, former president of Transpetro and now a collaborator of the Justice. In 2016, Machado reported that, between 2008 and 2009, when he was president of the state company, he requested benefits for Efromovich, asking in exchange for 2% of the value of the contracts related to the construction of four ships. According to Machado's judicial declaration, Efromovich initially said that he would not give "political support", but presented an alternative so that Machado could have an equivalent or higher financial return.
According to the version of the denunciation disclosed at that time, the Avianca Holding shareholder indicated that it would be willing to present investments not related to the state company, in which Machado could have a return of the same magnitude. In the MPF document, however, Machado says that it was Efromovich who proposed an investment agreement in a company in Ecuador. Machado himself indicated in his collaboration that the business would have been carried out in partnership with his son, the businessman Expedito Machado Neto, who would have made possible an investment agreement in onshore oil fields in Ecuador.
The MPF document also mentions the other son of the Transpetro executive, Sergio Firmeza Machado, who at the time was number two at Credit Suisse in Brazil. In the complaint, Machado affirms that Sergio Firmeza would only have reviewed the terms of the agreement with Efromovich, without detailing anything illegal.
In an interview with EL PAÍS last July, Efromovich spoke about the case and the circumstances, according to him, that led him to be mentioned in Machado's statement. He said then that he never paid bribes, but confirmed that on two occasions his business crossed with two of the complainant's children. “Sérgio Machado has a couple of children. One of them was an executive at Credit Suisse in São Paulo, "he said. According to his version, the bank executive would have made a business possible, but without specifying which one. “Wow, the guy was a banker. He did the business. And do I have to know whose son he is? ", He defended himself.
Regarding Expedito Machado, Efromovich confirmed that he had an investment fund that did a business with his oil company in Ecuador. "It seems they used the fund to launder money and other things that I didn't know about," he said. In a statement, Transpetro reported that since the beginning of the investigations it has collaborated with the MPF and forwards all relevant information to the competent bodies. "The company reiterates that it is a victim in these processes and provides all the necessary support to the investigations of Operation Lava Jato," he said. This newspaper was unable to contact the Efromovich brothers or their legal representatives.