“If you shouldn’t, investigate”, says Bolsonaro about Petrobras’ CPI

Since the last adjustment in fuel prices, the Chief Executive has defended an investigation by the state-owned company and leaders

The president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) once again defended the opening of a CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) to investigate the Petrobras. According to the Chief Executive, the rise in fuel prices is “an abuse”.

“I am agreeing on a Petrobras CPI. ‘Ah, you who nominated the president’. Yes, but I want a CPI. Why not? If you don’t owe anything, investigate the guy,” Bolsonaro told supporters on Monday night (June 20, 2022) at Palácio da Alvorada.

On Friday (June 17), the state-owned company increased the price of gasoline sold to distributors by 5.18%. Diesel had a high of 14.26%. Since then, the President of the Republic has publicly defended the investigation of the oil company.

In his assessment, “I didn’t need this readjustment, nor the previous one”. Bolsonaro also said that measures to control fuel prices by the federal government have “strong support” by the president of the Chamber, deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL).

After meeting with leaders of parties allied to the government, Lira said on Monday that the PL leader, Altineu Cortes (RJ), is collecting signatures to open a CPI to investigate Petrobras’ profits and high-ranking members of the company.

The CPI is made possible with the signature of at least ⅓ of the total number of members of the Chamber of Deputies. The commission has the function of investigating a relevant fact of interest to public life, to the constitutional, legal, economic or social order of the country.

In the opinion of the PT leader in the House, Reginaldo Lopes (MG), the CPI is a smokescreen. “He [Bolsonaro] doesn’t want to settle, he wants to wage an ideological war to sell the company to friends that he enriched for 3 years and 6 months doing the so-called PPI (import parity price), the dollarization of the oil and gas sector”, he stated.

PRESIDENT LEAVES POSITION

Pressured by Planalto, the president of Petrobras, José Mauro Ferreira Coelho, resigned from his position and from his seat on the company’s Board of Directors on Monday (20.jun).

The appointment of an interim president will be decided by the Board of Directors.

With the departure, Bolsonaro will appoint the 4th CEO of the state-owned company since he took over the Executive. Coelho stayed only 1 month and 9 days at the post.