Friends in Low Places

A Global Witness and Public Eye investigation reveals that the world's top three commodity traders—Vitol, Glencore, and Trafigura—engaged middlemen linked to Brazil's 'Car Wash' corruption scandal. The report details how these intermediaries, including the 'Deacon of Bribes' and professional money-launderers, allegedly facilitated bribery schemes and insider information trades to secure oil and fuel contracts with Petrobras. While the companies deny wrongdoing, the report highlights 'corruption red flags' and calls for investigations by authorities in the UK, US, and Switzerland.

• Vitol engaged Bo Ljungberg, a Swedish businessman and co-owner of Encom Trading SA, as an agent for Brazilian oil business opportunities in 2011 and 2012. Ljungberg was later charged with corruption, money-laundering, and belonging to a criminal gang known as 'Brasil Trade', which allegedly used Encom to facilitate bribery schemes involving asphalt contracts and potential fuel oil deals with Petrobras.
• Vitol's subsidiary, Cockett Marine, paid $8.2 million between February 2009 and November 2012 to offshore companies in the Cayman Islands owned by Nelson Martins Ribeiro. Ribeiro is described by a judge as a "professional money launderer" who allegedly channeled bribe money to Petrobras Director of Supply Paulo Roberto Costa.
• Glencore entered into an agreement in 2011 with Luiz Eduardo Andrade to purchase fuel oil from Petrobras. Andrade was a member of the 'Brasil Trade' syndicate and was charged with corruption and money-laundering for his role in securing asphalt contracts through the use of a pricing 'formula' obtained via bribes.
• Glencore's subsidiary, Ocean Connect Marine, paid $2.1 million between 2010 and 2014 to Seaview Shipbroking, run by Konstantinos and Georgios Kotronakis. The Kotronakises are alleged to have paid bribes to Paulo Roberto Costa in exchange for insider information on Petrobras's fuel tanker needs. A document known as the 'Beto Report' specifically listed a bribe payment under the heading 'Trading Glencore'.
• Trafigura proposed a $2 billion 'oil-backed loan' to Petrobras that was allegedly targeted by Jorge and Bruno Luz (the 'Deacon of Bribes' and his son) to generate a 1% commission for bribes, including $10 million for the Progressive Party. Although the deal failed, a former Trafigura board member, Mariano Ferraz, was sentenced to over 10 years for paying bribes to Paulo Roberto Costa for a separate contract.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Friends in Low Places. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/friends-in-low-places/

Chicago

Global Witness. Friends in Low Places. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/friends-in-low-places/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Witness |title=Friends in Low Places |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/friends-in-low-places/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalwitnessndfriends, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Friends in Low Places}}, institution = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/friends-in-low-places/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }