Operation Car Wash used “methods of torture,” says Supreme Court justice

The largest anti-corruption investigation in Brazil’s history, Operation Car Wash went out with a whimper — not a bang — when its task force was dissolved on February 3. Riddled with criticism for its alleged bias and overstepping of bounds, the probe’s reputation was torn apart piece by piece over the last 18 months.

Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes, one of the staunchest critics of the operation, says that the task force’s tactics of obtaining information from suspects were akin to “methods of torture.”

In an exclusive interview with The Brazilian Report, Justice Mendes says that recently revealed conversations between members of the Car Wash task force are “extremely grievous” and have put the criminal justice system and prosecution service in a tight spot.

“The facts being revealed indicate a complete lack of control and self-containment in all areas (…) they show how not to conduct an anti-corruption investigation.”

Obeying all coronavirus safety protocols, Justice Mendes met with The Brazilian Report at his office in the Supreme Court. The main takeaways from this exclusive interview can be found below.

Questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

What did you make of the winding up of the Operation Car Wash task force? 

Many journalists say that Operation Car Wash died, but it was more than that: it was assassinated. From the information we have now, with revelations that are very serious if true — and they appear to be — we can see that [Car Wash] became something beyond an anti-corruption investigation. It became a political stance. We saw this in Sergio Moro’s decision to leave Car Wash and become Justice Minister. And from his conduct...