2023-10-16 16:38:06
State deputy Leonardo Siqueira, from the New Party of São Paulo, filed a class action requesting the removal of three Petrobras advisors, arguing that the appointments were irregular as they did not follow the state-owned company’s statute.
The action calls for the removal of counselors Pietro Mendes, Efrain Cruz and Sergio Machado Rezende, all appointed by the Federal Government.
Siqueira told Brazil Journal that he decided to take action to prevent Petrobras from being politically captured once more.
“It is indisputable that Petrobras was politically captured during the previous PT management. And during that period, it was the most indebted company in Brazil and had the biggest loss in its history, R$34 billion,” he said.
“With the State Law, Petrobras’ governance has improved a lot, but we need to ensure that the rules are complied with.”
According to him, the three counselors targeted in the action were chosen without a process involving headhunters, as required by statute. Furthermore, there was an opinion contrary to the nomination by the People Committee, by the state-owned company’s board, and by the CVM itself.
Finally, the three counselors are affiliated with political parties or had roles in the government shortly before taking office (and did not comply with the required quarantine).
Siqueira notes that Sérgio Rezende was a member of the PSB until March, not complying with the 36-month quarantine required by statute. Efrain Cruz is the executive secretary of Mines and Energy and was director of Aneel before taking on the role, and chairman Pietro Mendes, a career employee of the ANP who is the secretary of oil and gas at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Pietro’s case is perhaps the one that draws the most attention: his position in the Ministry makes him the formulator of the Government’s oil and gas policy, at the same time as he works within Petrobras.
The action once morest Efrain will be judged in the 21st Federal Court of São Paulo; while the actions once morest Pietro and Sérgio Rezende will be judged in the 6th Federal Court of São Paulo.
Siqueira is confident that the action will be accepted.
“It is very clear that the appointments were once morest Petrobras’ internal statutes. It’s written there. It’s not that I think anything: there is a statute that must be followed and we present the reasons,” he said.
The popular action comes at a time when some sections of the law on state-owned companies were suspended by a monocratic decision by Minister Ricardo Lewandowski in ADI 7331. However, Petrobras’ statute was not changed and was not subject to control by the STF.
The action is also a way of putting pressure on the Government to avoid political interference.
In May, Siqueira used the same instrument to request the removal of the president of Previ, arguing that he did not have the technical skills to occupy the position.
O Judge Marcelo Gentil Monteiro, from the 1st Civil Court of the Federal District, accepted the request, but four days later the TRF-1 suspended the decision.
Pedro Arbex
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