Operation Car Wash’s Sandcastle
Years before Operation Car Wash and Judge Sergio Moro shattered the Brazilian political system, another probe threatened political parties and construction companies. Back in 2009, Operation Sandcastle investigated illegal donations these companies made to parties from all sides of the political spectrum—and nearly pulled the thread to reveal how putrid the Brazilian political establishment had become. Sounds a lot like the Car Wash case, right?
But if you’ve never heard of Operation Sandcastle, it’s because it was dismissed by the Superior Court of Justice for relying on illegal proceedings. The probe gathered evidence of money laundering schemes, tax evasion, corruption, and illegal campaign donations—everything went to the trash. Some fear (others hope) that Operation Car Wash could share the same fate.
If confirmed that then-Judge (and current Justice Minister) Sergio Moro coordinated with the prosecution, and nothing has indicated otherwise, he committed an illegal act—even if this has, sadly, become the norm in Brazil’s Justice system. “From the go, he was making decisions not to impartially judge, but rather to reach goals—to convict people on trial,” says Guilherme Ziliani Carnelos, from the Institute for the Right of Defense.