Bribes investigated under Operation Car Wash reach $ 2.67 billion

The scheme for paying bribes at Petrobras and other state-owned companies investigated under Operation Car Wash reached $2.67 billion. But the amount can surpass $5 billion if, in addition to bribes, money embezzled by contracts with suppliers and overpriced business were added to the amount. The information was disclosed this Friday (Oct. 9) by prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol from Public Prosecution Office (MPF).

According to him, "it is an estimate" based on a contract between Petrobrás and Camargo Corrêa totaling $401 million. "Only this overpriced contract totaled $160 million." Dallagnol announced that the amount of bribes at Petrobrás "surpassed $1.65 billion".

He spoke on the last day of the 21st Public Prosecution National Colloquium and 5th Regional Conference of International Associations of Prosecutors (IAP) for Latin America, and stated that "Operation Car Wash is fighting against a tumor, but the system is carcinogenic. We have no legal defense against corruption in Brazil. We are grasping a window of opportunity and—if we don't seize the opportunity to change our reality—we don't know when we'll have another one."

Dallagnol talked about "10 measures against corruption", MPF's campaign to curb public funds misuse and administrative misconduct acts. And he declared that Operation Car Wash will probably not change the way the country tackles corruption, but it will certainly set out conditions for structural changes aimed at preventing public funds embezzlement and administrative misconduct practices.

The campaign, which has already lasted about two months, collected over 380,000 signatures so far. To become a bill of popular initiative, 1.5 million signatures (1% of the national electorate) need to be sent to Congress.

Operation Car Wash is the name of the Federal Police investigation on money laundering, launched on March, 17th, 2014.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta