Brazilian steelmaker Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) was said to have asked a Brazilian executive to give BRL 14 million to a former Brazilian minister.
The steelmaker was mentioned by Marcelo Bahia Odebrecht, the former CEO of Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht. Both the company and the executive are currently being investigated on a corruption scheme under the Car Wash or Lava Jato operation.
The quick citation doesn’t make it clear if CSN in fact gave any cash in an alleged attempt to bribe Brazil’s former finance minister, Antonio Palocci.
Odebrecht, who is currently contributing to the investigation, said that “under the request of CSN’s CEO at the time, Benjamin Steinbruch, he passed along BRL 14 million to Antonio Palocci and BRL 2.5 million to Paulo Skaf.”
Odebrecht’s deposition also say the money was due to a “commitment assumed by Benjamin Steinbruch with the Brazilian Worker’s Party, PT.”
CSN is the second company linked to corruption, following the citation earlier this year of Gerdau, which was linked to another minister who allegedly helped politicians approve measures to benefit the steelmaker.