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Transparency International rejects false accusations in Brazilian media

Articles recently published in the Brazilian media concerning Transparency International and its national chapter contain false information concerning a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Transparency International, the Federal Public Ministry of Brazil and the corporation J&F.

Transparency International wishes to clarify that, contrary to the claims published in Brazilian media, it never received nor would receive funds, directly or indirectly, as a result of the MoU in question or from fines in the corruption settlement between the other two parties. The MoU explicitly prohibits Transparency International from receiving payments and includes specific clauses to avoid conflicts of interest (Section 3).

Transparency International never claimed any managerial role or decision-making power over the destination of the funds. Transparency International provided technical recommendations on governance, transparency and accountability best practices on the use of compensation funds derived from fines and settlements of corruption cases, published in a report on April 2019. The MoU expired in December 2019 and it was not renewed.

Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair of Transparency International, said: “We categorically reject these false accusations, and the deliberate attempt to undermine the reputation of Transparency International Brazil, which has the full support of the whole Transparency International movement. It is particularly disappointing that we were not asked for comment on the accusations before they were published. Had we been given right of reply, we could have prevented the Brazilian public from being fed false information.”

Transparency International and its national chapter in Brazil are fully committed to supporting anti-corruption efforts in Brazil in a transparent, non-political and independent manner, which is as necessary now as it ever has been following serious institutional setbacks in the fight against corruption and reduced space for civil society.


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