Reuters: Rousseff accepts Petrobras CEO resignation

February 4, 2015

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has reportedly accepted a resignation given by the Petrobras CEO Maria das Graças Silva Foster.

According to Reuters, the Petrobras CEO will leave the national oil company following a widespread corruption scandal involving Petrobras officials, contractors and politicians.

Following the reports of Roussef accepting the resignation, the company’s shares jumped as much as 15%.

However, the resignation has not been officially confirmed.

Back in November 2014, Petrobras’ CEO Maria das Gracas Foster was accused of lying under oath.

Brazilian politician Onyx Lorenzoni then filed a criminal complaint against the Petrobras CEO, asserting that she lied before a Brazilian congressional committee in her testimony on June 11 when she said she was unaware of the bribery of Petrobras’ employees.

Maria das Graças Silva Foster, Petrobras first female CEO, took over the position in 2012 from José Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo, who holds the record as the longest serving CEO at the helm of Petrobras, with six years and seven months in office.

Domingos Savio, a member of Partida da Social Democracia Brasileira, Brazilian opposition, has said that the PSDB will do everything to rebuild and to reconstruct Petrobras, accusing Dilma Rousseff of pulling the strings behind the corruption scandal.

He said: “For this we need to go further and replace the president of Brazil. Gracas Foster, as well as others involved in the scheme, were under the direct guidance of Dilma. In the medium and long term, real change can only be made with the change of leadership of the federal government.”

Update: February 4, 3:38 p.m. CET

Petrobras has confirmed that its CEO has resigned in a one-sentence statement:

“Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras informs that its Board of Directors, in a meeting scheduled for next Friday, February 6th, will elect new Executive Board members due to the resignation of the CEO and five executive directors.”

Offshore Energy Today Staff