BTG Pactual Tanks as Petrobras Probe Leads to Chairman’s Arrest
- Government's leader in Senate also arrested, police say
- Arrests tied to Carwash investigation into builders, Petrobras
Brazil Billionaire Esteves Arrested in Probe
Andre Esteves, the Brazilian billionaire who transformed BTG Pactual into the largest independent investment bank in Latin America, was arrested in the corruption probe that has shaken the country’s political and economic leadership.
The Supreme Court authorized the warrant to detain the financier on suspicion he and the leader of the government coalition in the Senate, Delcidio Amaral, allegedly tried to interfere in testimony related to a pay-to-play scheme at the state-run oil giant, Petroleo Brasileiro SA, according to a court document. BTG and Petrobras are partners in a troubled oil-rig supplier. Amaral was also arrested, making him the highest-ranking politician so far to be ensnared in the scandal.