Swiss, Brazil intensify efforts to unravel Petrobras affair

ZURICH: Crimefighters in Switzerland and Brazil pledged to intensify cooperation to resolve the sprawling corruption case linked to state oil firm Petrobras in which around £536 million remain frozen in Switzerland. Switzerland has so far returned roughly 365 million Swiss francs (£279.6 million) to Brazil related to Petrobras and construction firm Odebrecht, the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said on Tuesday, including 9 million francs in March. Around 70 related criminal proceedings are under way in Switzerland, two of which are scrutinising Swiss financial groups, the OAG said after Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber and Brazilian Prosecutor General Raquel Dodge met in Brasilia on Monday. “The two counterparts signed a joint declaration reaffirming their commitment to continue and intensify their cooperation,” the OAG said in a statement. — Reuters