By Julia Payne
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Global commodities trader Trafigura said it was setting aside $127 million cover a possible U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) fine to end a probe into "improper payments" by the company in Brazil, a statement from the company said on Wednesday.
"The investigations stem in part from statements made by Mariano Marcondes Ferraz, a former Trafigura employee, as part of a plea agreement following his conviction in a separate case in Brazil, not related to Trafigura," the company said in the statement.
The Geneva-based firm is also under investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Switzerland, which has asked the federal court to "consider charges" against Trafigura for failing to prevent alleged unlawful payments via a third party to a former employee of Angola's state oil company Sonangol between 2009-2011.
The OAG also announced charges against the company's former chief operating office Mike Wainwright. The former Sonangol employee and a former consultant to DT Group, a joint-venture with Trafigura, are being charged as well.
Trafigura said it would defend itself in court and that Wainwright rejected the charges and would also defend himself.
(Reporting by Julia Payne; Editing by Mark Potter)