Vice admiral
Othon Pinheiro da Silva
Personal details
Born
Othon Luiz Pinheiro da Silva

(1939-02-25) 25 February 1939
Sumidouro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Alma mater
OccupationMarine, mechanical and nuclear engineer
Known forDevelopment of the Brazilian nuclear program
Military service
Allegiance Brazil
Branch/service Brazilian Navy
Years of service1960–1994
Rank Vice admiral
Awards

Othon Luiz Pinheiro da Silva (born 25 February 1939) is a Brazilian physicist, mechanical and nuclear engineer, vice admiral of the Brazilian Navy Naval Engineers and Technicians Corps. He had also served as president of state-owned company Eletronuclear.

Othon's biography is deeply related to the Brazilian nuclear program. He is known and received many homages for being one of the main responsibles for the development of a technology for uranium enrichment called ultracentrifugation. This allowed the country to be independent for dominating all of the nuclear power commodity chain, ensuring the construction of the nuclear propulsion submarine SN Álvaro Alberto (SN-10) and the supply of the country's power plants.[1][2]

The vice admiral was arrested for the first time in Operation Radioactivity, 16th Phase of Operation Car Wash, triggered by the accusation of Dalton Avanci, former executive of contractor Camargo Corrêa.[3] Later, he was arrested again in Operation Pripyat, an offshoot of the previous one, which investigated accusations of corruption in Eletronuclear.[4]

Othon was convicted by judge Marcelo Bretas to 43 years in prison and was kept in the Brazilian Marine Corps headquarters of Meriti River in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro.[5] Silva was later released due a habeas corpus granted in October 2017 by the Federal Regional Court of the 2nd Region (TRF-2).[6] In 2022, TRF-2 reviewed his conviction and replaced the prison sentence with restrictions on rights.[7]

Life and career

Othon graduated in 1960 at the Naval School and in Naval Engineering at the São Paulo Polytechnic School in 1966, with a master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, concomitantly with a bachelor's degree in Nuclear Engineering.[8][9]

Returning to Brazil, he was tasked to begin the first studies for a Brazilian nuclear submarine and led the Parallel Nuclear Program from 1979 to 1994.[5] Secretly conducted by the Navy, the project resulted in the development of a national technology for uranium enrichment using ultracentrifugation, which currently produces part of the fuel for Angra Nuclear Power Plant.[10]

Othon was director of reactors researches of the Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research (IPEN) from 1982 to 1984.[10] At this time, he was actively monitored by the CIA, which kept an agent, Ray H. Allar, living in an apartment next to the admiral's in São Paulo.[8] Along with Marcos Honauser, Othon controlled secret bank accounts, from which funds were applied in parallel nuclear programs.[11] Found by journalist Tânia Malheiros, who published the book "Brasil, a Bomba Oculta" (Brazil, the Hidden Bomb), the case was target of investigation, archived in 1988 by Prosecutor-General Sepúlveda Pertence.[11]

In 1994, he retired from the military as vice admiral and opened a consulting company for projects in energy.[10]

Civilian and military awards

Prison and conviction

Othon Pinheiro da Silva
Criminal statusReleased
Conviction(s)Corruption, money laundering, obstruction of justice, tax evasion, criminal organization
Criminal penalty43 years in prison (later reduced to 4 years, 10 months and 10 days in prison and replaced by restriction on rights)

In 2005, during the first term of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Othon assumed the presidency of Eletronuclear, invited by Minister of Mines and Energy Silas Rondeau.[12] During his administration, the construction of Angra 3 reactor, suspended for 23 years, was resumed.[10] In April 2015, Othon was suspended from office after accusations of bribe payments to company directors.[10] He was arrested on 28 July, during investigations of Operation Car Wash, which revealed evidences of payments of R$4.5 million (US$1.35 million) in bribes made by contractors consortiums.[10] Imprisoned in Rio de Janeiro after Operation Radioactivity, he was taken to the Federal Police Superintendence in Curitiba.[13]

On 6 July 2016, Othon was arrested again by the Federal Police in an offshoot of Operation Car Wash, named Pripyat, which investigates corruption in Eletrobras.[14][15][16] In August, judge Marcelo Bretas convicted vice admiral Othon to 43 years of prison for the crimes of corruption, money laundering, obstruction of justice, tax evasion and criminal organization during the construction of Angra 3 nuclear power plant.[17]

In October 2017, Othon was released after a habeas corpus was granted by the Federal Regional Court of the 2nd Region.[6]

In 2022, the same court reduced his sentence from 43 years to 4 years, 10 months and 10 days in prison and replaced the prison sentence with two sentences of restrictions on rights.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Venturini, Lilian (5 August 2016). "Quem é o militar que recebeu a maior pena da Lava Jato até agora". Nexo Jornal (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  2. ↑ Dominguez, Ana Covarrubias (2014). Routledge Handbook of Latin America in the World. Routledge. ISBN 9781317621850.
  3. ↑ Justi, Adriana (28 July 2015). "PF deflagra a 16ª fase da Operação Lava Jato e cumpre 30 mandados". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  4. ↑ de Oliveira, Nielmar (6 July 2016). "Operação Pripyat: atual presidente da Eletronuclear é afastado do cargo". Agência Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 Castro, Juliana (24 January 2017). "Condenado a 43 anos de prisão na Lava-Jato, ex-presidente da Eletronuclear tentou suicídio". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  6. 1 2 Bergamo, Mônica (11 October 2017). "Justiça manda soltar almirante Othon, ex-presidente da Eletronuclear". Folha de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Sampaio, Fabiana (31 March 2022). "TRF2 reduz pena de vice-almirante condenado na Operação Lava Jato". Agência Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  8. 1 2 Contreiras, Hélio (5 May 1999). "Espionagem à brasileira". Isto É (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "Saiba quem é o presidente licenciado da Eletronuclear preso na Lava-Jato". GaúchaZH (in Brazilian Portuguese). 28 July 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Salomão, Lucas (28 July 2015). "Executivo preso na Lava Jato é vice-almirante da Marinha". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Presidente da Eletronuclear controlou conta secreta de programa nos anos 80". Folha de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 29 July 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  12. ↑ Freitas, Cláudia (28 July 2015). "STM: se condenado, Othon Pinheiro pode perder patente, salário e cumprir pena em penitenciária". Jornal do Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  13. ↑ "Presidente da Eletronuclear recebey R$ 4,5 milhões em propina, diz MPF". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 28 July 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  14. ↑ "Ex-presidente da Eletronuclear é alvo de operação da PF". UOL Notícias (in Brazilian Portuguese). 6 July 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  15. ↑ Brandt, Ricardo; Macedo, Fausto; Affonso, Julia; Serapião, Fabio (6 July 2016). "Operação Pripyat prende ex-presidente da Eletronuclear e afasta atual diretor" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  16. ↑ Saigg, Mahomed (6 July 2016). "Lava Jato volta a prended ex-presidente da Eletronuclear no RJ". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Justiça do Rio condena ex-presidente da Eletronuclear a 43 anos de prisão". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 4 August 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  18. ↑ Gomes, Marcelo (31 March 2022). "TRF da 2ª região reduz de 43 para 4 anos condenação do ex-presidente da Eletronuclear na Lava Jato". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
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