Police probe reveals lobbying over Petrobras and Unigel contract

A confidential Brazilian Federal Police investigation overseen by Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino revealed that President Lula's eldest son, Fábio Luís da Silva, worked alongside lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger and former presidential chief of staff Marco Aurélio Santana Ribeiro to advance the interests of fertilizer producer Unigel at Petrobras.

According to the probe, Luchsinger negotiated a consulting deal with Unigel director Leo Slezynger. The arrangement sought to secure a lease agreement with Petrobras and a BRL 500 million financing package from development bank BNDES for a joint venture. The agreement outlined an initial payment of BRL 100,000 plus BRL 25 million upon securing the credit, with Slezynger transferring BRL 1.26 million to Luchsinger between March 2023 and July 2024.

Unigel, which had leased two fertilizer plants in Bahia and Sergipe during the Jair Bolsonaro administration, halted operations in 2023 due to losses. The company sought a tolling agreement where Petrobras would supply gas and receive fertilizer in return. Technical staff and then-Petrobras CEO Jean Paul Prates initially resisted the terms, citing financial risks and governance standards before the contract was finalized on December 29, 2023.

The presidential communication secretariat stated that President Lula received no requests regarding the contract and did not interfere in corporate negotiations. Unigel said it never maintained a contractual relationship with Luchsinger, while legal representatives for Luchsinger and da Silva dismissed the claims or noted they lacked access to the sealed proceedings.