Kroll is a consultancy firm specialized in risk management and is active in 35 countries. In its 32 years of existence, Kroll has provided consulting services, assisting corporations, government entities, NGOs and individuals to protect their physical, financial and intellectual assets.

Kroll was hired by Brasil Telecom to obtain evidence of possible irregularities that forced the Brazilian telecommunications operator to acquire the control of CRT. The acquisition of this company was settled for a much higher price than would be necessary.

In accomplishing our activities, and upon obtaining some evidence, the scope was widened to include new evidence of other irregularities committed by Telecom Italia, which also caused damage to Brasil Telecom.

Our investigation found irregular practices in Telecom Italia’s business activities, of its employees and associates, which affected the management of Brasil Telecom. Brasil Telecom has never requested Kroll to investigate the Brazilian Government or any of its members.

The practices adopted by Telecom Italia in Brazil are the same as those employed in partnerships in other countries. As a result, the scope of the investigation was widened to include matters of the company in Venezuela, Greece, Brazil, Bolivia, Turkey, Cuba and Serbia.

Brasil Telecom has instituted several lawsuits to recover damages suffered as a result of actions taken by Telecom Italia to the company’s board of directors. Kroll’s sole objective is to provide evidence to support such proceedings.

Kroll does not promote practices that infringe the Brazilian, American or any other countries’ legislation in which it conducts business.

Kroll is unfamiliar with the source of the material used to create the aforementioned article by Folha de São Paulo. Presumably several elements of the article were manipulated, adding or omitting data.

During the investigations’ progress a number of situations apparently organized by Mr. Luiz Roberto Demarco Almeida for Telecom Italia were noted. This connection is evidence that this person was among the group of associates of the Italian company at a certain stage of the investigations. The correspondences exchanged between him and Mr. Gushiken, as stated in the article of the mentioned newspaper, date prior to Mr. Gushiken’s entry in the Secretariat of Communications of the Federal Government.

Having carried out business globally for 32 years and holding a portfolio of hundreds of clients from a wide range of economic sectors, Kroll has always been recognized for its professional ethics, trustfulness and experience. Proof of this is that the Brazilian government itself – through the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Powers - has hired our services on several occasions in the past.