Wednesday 24 Apr 2024
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SINGAPORE (June 2): Keppel Corp on Thursday denied allegations brought about by EIG Management Co and eight of its managed funds in a US$221 million (S$304 million) fraud suit against Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

Washington DC-based investment firm EIG has started legal proceedings against Petrobras in the U.S. District Court of Columbia and added several companies, including Keppel and Keppel Offshore & Marine, as defendants.

EIG claims the companies and Petrobras unlawfully conspired to mislead the firm into investing the money in a now-bankrupt offshore drilling business, Sete Brasil Participacoes SA.

“Keppel denies these baseless allegations and will vigorously defend the action,” Keppel Corp said in its SGX filing.

EIG alleges Petrobras concealed a wide-ranging bribery and kickback scheme. The Petrobras corruption scandal was exposed in 2014, following a probe known as ‘Operation Car Wash’.

Before it ran aground, Sete Brasil had placed orders worth billions of dollars with two Singapore rig builders, Keppel Corp and Sembcorp Marine.

Keppel Corp in January reported a S$230 million writedown on projects linked to the growing corruption scandal, involving Petrobras.

As at 12.43 p.m. today, Keppel Corp was trading 0.57% higher at S$5.32.

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