Car Wash investigative taskforce deadline extended

The Superior Council of the Federal Prosecution Service (CSMPF) today (Aug. 1) approved a deadline extension to continue the activities of the federal prosecutors' taskforce working on the Car Wash corruption investigations. With the measure, the current capacity of 14 prosecutors including Deltan Dallagnol will be retained for at least one more year in the Prosecution Service's local chapter in Curitiba.

The task force was set up in 2014 by Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot. Back then, six prosecutors began investigating the initial findings of Operation Car Wash.

According to data updated by the Prosecutor-General's Office (PGR), 1,700 investigative cases had been filed, and 844 searches, 210 bench arrests, and 104 temporary detentions of suspects had been served as part of Operation Car Wash by July 2017. So far, 157 of the investigated suspects have been convicted, with jail sentences totalling a combined 1,563 years. Plea bargaining deals have enabled the recovery of $3.29 billion worth of embezzled public funds.

Last week, the CSMPF decided to expand the initial budget proposed for next year for the Car Wash investigative taskforce in Curitiba from $166,920 to $527,000. The funding is earmarked mainly for for prosecutors' and staff travel allowances.

Translated by Mayra Borges