CASE STUDIES
BRAZILIAN CAR WASH: THE ANTI-CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION AND GLOBAL IMPACT

The Car Wash Operation (Operação Lava Jato) hit the top of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) list of FCPA penalties paid by companies involved in corruption schemes. Odebrecht and Petrobras alone paid $2.6 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively, to regulators for their roles in massive corruption. However, the Car Wash Operation also hit companies from Singapore, the Netherlands, and the UK, and it reached more than thirty countries. Presidents and politicians in more than ten countries were sentenced to jail.
The challenges of a complex and multi-jurisdictional investigation and the impact of its findings for accountants, attorneys, and external auditors created a new paradigm for CFEs in Brazil, and the lessons learned can help CFEs around the world. The investigation included forensic technology tools, background searches, interviews, transaction tests, data analysis, reporting, and a complex management system. Learn from the experience of someone who lived inside this turmoil for the last four years.

Marcelo Gomes, Ph.D.
Partner, Strategic and Compliance Risk Practice
KPMG

Bruno Massard, CFE, CCEP-I
Partner-D, Strategic and Compliance Risk Practice
KPMG