Trafigura executives charged corrupt by Brazilian prosecutors

Brazilian federal prosecutors on Friday filed corruption charges against two former executives of the oil trader Trafigura for allegedly paying at least $1.5 million in bribes to employees of Brazil's state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro.

Prosecutors said in a written statement that the charges filed against Mariano Marcondes Ferraz, a former Trafigura top executive, and Marcio Pinto Magalhaes, a local country representative, were the first of many to come against the world's largest oil traders. Vitol SA, Glencore PLC and Mercuria Energy Group are also under investigation in Brazil.