브라질 앙그라 3호 원전 공사, 정·재계 비리로 사실상 중단 Eletrobras' corruption probe zeroes in on Brazilian dams

공사 맡은 대형 건설업체 

근로자 대량해고 방침

Angra 3 nuclear power plant 앙그라 원전 3호기

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케이콘텐츠 편집

브라질 정계와 재계를 뒤흔드는 비리 스캔들 때문에 3호 원자력발전소 건설 공사에 차질이 빚어지고 있다. 9일(현지시간) 브라질 일간지 폴랴 지 상파울루 등에 따르면 국영에너지회사 페트로브라스를 둘러싼 비리 스캔들에 연루된 대형 건설업체 안드라지 구티에레스가 근로자 대량해고 방침을 밝히면서 원전 건설 공사가 사실상 중단될 것으로 보인다. 브라질 국영전력회사 엘레트로브라스(Eletrobras)의 원전 부문 자회사인 엘레트로누클레아르(Eletronuclear)는 리우데자네이루 주 앙그라 두스 헤이스 지역에 앙그라-3호 원전을 건설하고 있다. 현지 건설노조는 안드라지 구티에레스가 1천125명의 근로자 해고 방침을 밝혔으며, 해고 규모가 2천 명 선까지 늘어날 것으로 보인다고 전했다. 공사가 제대로 진행되지 않으면 2018년 말에서 2019년 초로 예정된 앙그라-3호 원전의 가동 시기도 늦춰질 수밖에 없을 것으로 보인다. 현재 앙그라 두스 헤이스 지역에서는 1982년과 2000년에 건설된 앙그라-1호(657㎿)와 앙그라-2호(1천350㎿) 원전이 가동되고 있다.  앙그라-3호(1천405㎿) 원전 건설 공사는 1985년에 시작됐으나, 예산 확보와 환경문제 등 때문에 계속 지연되다가 2007년부터 공사가 재개됐다.  한편, 안드라지 구티에레스는 사법 당국이 지난해 3월부터 '라바 자투(Lava Jato; 세차용 고압분사기) 작전'이라는 이름 아래 벌이는 비리 사건에 연루됐다. 사법 당국의 조사에서 안드라지 구티에레스를 비롯한 대형 건설업체들이 페트로브라스에 장비를 납품하거나 정유소 건설 사업 등을 수주하는 과정에서 막대한 뇌물이 오간 것으로 드러났다. 뇌물 중 일부는 돈세탁을 거쳐 주요 정당에 흘러들어 간 것으로 알려졌다. (상파울루=연합뉴스) 김재순 통신원 fidelis21c@yna.co.kr

 

Eletrobras' corruption probe zeroes in on Brazilian dams

CEO of Brazil’s Eletronuclear Arrested in Wide Corruption Probe

Prosecutors say the CEO, on leave from the Eletrobras unit, is suspected of taking bribes from construction companies from 2009 to 2014

​By Caroline Stauffer

SAO PAULO, Oct 7 (Reuters) - A commission hired by Brazil's state-run energy utility Eletrobras to probe possible violations of U.S. and Brazilian anti-corruption laws involving the company is studying three Amazonian dam projects and a nuclear power plant, two sources familiar with the investigation said.

They said the commission is investigating possible bribery in two $5 billion dam projects on the Madeira river, Santo Antonio and Jirau, as well as the massive Belo Monte dam and the Angra 3 nuclear power plant that prosecutors have already linked to a huge corruption scandal.

Both sources said the investigation is at an early stage but that the commission is looking at everything from how construction contracts on the projects were awarded to heavy cost overruns. Eletrobras owns Angra 3 through its Eletronuclear subsidiary and has a stake in the three dams under review.

One of the sources said the commission is sharing its information with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Both the SEC and DOJ declined to comment when asked if they were investigating Eletrobras. Eletrobras said it would only comment on the commission's probe when it was concluded.

Brazilian federal prosecutors say construction firms involved in Brazil's largest-ever corruption scandal at state oil company Petrobras likely repeated a price fixing and political kickback scheme at Eletrobras, a smaller state-run firm that employs some of the same contractors as the oil giant.

Any discovery of corruption could force a balance sheet write-off and delay completion of the dams, preventing them from reaching their full capacities at a time Brazil's energy grid is recovering from drought.

Eletrobras, formally known as Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, hired U.S.-based law firm Hogan Lovells in June to assess possible graft involving Eletrobras and private construction firms but did not say which projects were being checked.

It later appointed Brazilian firms WFaria Advogados and R. Amaral to evaluate any violations of Brazilian law, as well as three independent commissioners, the sources said.

The commission aims to complete its review this year and may recommend a write-off, one source said. Petrobras wrote off $2 billion in graft losses in April.

Brazil's Federal Accounts Court, the TCU, says it is also concerned about possible corruption on Eletrobras dam projects in which private contractors under investigation have a stake or were hired to do work.

The dams have less oversight than the Petrobras contracts and their projected construction costs have more than doubled, according to TCU investigator Sergio Caribe, who is leading a review initially focused on Belo Monte.

"Over-pricing is an indication that something is not right," he said in an interview.

Representatives for Santo Antonio operating consortium Santo Antonio Energia and the Belo Monte operating consortium Norte Energia said they had not been informed of any irregularities found by the commission.

The consortium operating Jirau, Energia Sustentavel do Brasil (ESBR), attributed the rising costs to inflation, an expansion of the project and damages from two fires. It said the dam should not have been included in Eletrobras' internal investigation.

Santo Antonio Energia said its additional investments were all normal and had been approved by shareholders.

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as Petrobras is formally known, has been investigated by the SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice since last year.

Both Petrobras and Eletrobras have shares on the New York Stock Exchange and are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which aims to prevent graft by companies linked to the United States.

SOARING COSTS

Brazilian prosecutors this month charged Othon Luiz Pinheiro da Silva, the chief executive of Eletronuclear, with corruption and money laundering. He is accused of taking 4.5 million reais ($1.1 million) in bribes related to the Angra 3 plant near Rio de Janeiro.

The Santo Antonio dam, Brazil's fourth largest, includes participation from Eletrobras subsidiary Furnas, Caixa FIP Amazonia Energia, SAAG Investimentos and Cemig Geração e Transmissão.

Odebrecht Energia, part of Latin America's largest engineering group Odebrecht SA, has an 18.6 percent stake in Santo Antonio and was also hired to build it. Odebrecht declined to comment.

Jirau is a venture by France's Engie SA, formerly known as GDF Suez, as well as Japan's Mitsui & Co, and Eletrobras subsidiaries Eletrosul and CHESF. The other stakeholders referred questions to the ESBR consortium.

Camargo Correa had an operating stake in Jirau and was building it, though it sold its shares to GDF Suez in 2012 and is no longer involved. ESBR said dozens of construction companies have been hired.

Camargo Correa did not respond to request for comment.

($1 = 4 reais)

See graphic on Petrobras and Eletrobras corruption scheme http://reut.rs/1GQrMVf (Additional reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York, Anthony Boadle in Brasilia, Sarah Lynch and Joel Schectman in Washington; Editing by Kieran Murray)

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