An interview with Professor and Managing Director of FGVethics at FGV EAESP Ligia Maura Costa on the publication of her latest book “Brazil’s Biggest Corruption Scandal: Testimonies from Operation Car Wash”.

Fighting Corruption in Brazil: The authoritative book on the Operation Car Wash investigation from an interview with Prof. Ligia Maura Costa, FGV EAESP by Tom Gamble, Executive Director CoBS.

Tom Gamble, Council on Business & Society: In a nutshell, what is the book about?

Prof. Ligia Costa: The book provides a distinctive and thorough account of Operation Car Wash, the most extensive and influential anti-corruption investigation in Brazil’s history.

It brings together testimonies from key participants in the case, including prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers, and business leaders, offering a multifaceted understanding of how the operation unfolded and transformed Brazil’s systems of governance and justice. Through these diverse perspectives, the book examines the intricate interplay between law, politics, ethics, integrity, and corporate governance.

Operation Car Wash: A Turning Point in Brazil’s history

TG: What made you want to write about this particular corruption scandal?

Ligia Costa: As a scholar dedicated to governance, integrity, and compliance, I was drawn to the profound institutional and societal impact of Operation Car Wash. It marked a turning point in Brazil’s history, bringing issues of corruption, corporate accountability, and judicial independence to the centre of public debate. Operation Car Wash stood out as the largest and most far-reaching anti-corruption investigation in Brazil’s history. It was also the only one that succeeded in holding powerful political and business figures accountable, effectively dismantling the long-standing perception that imprisonment in Brazil was reserved only for the poor. This unprecedented outcome reshaped public expectations of justice and integrity, revealing that no one should be above the law.

Based on that, I felt it was essential to document these events through the words of those who lived them, to ensure an informed and balanced understanding beyond media narratives or political interpretations.

As a scholar devoted to governance, integrity, and compliance, I was profoundly compelled by the far-reaching institutional and societal consequences of Operation Car Wash. The investigation represented not merely a judicial milestone but a defining moment in Brazil’s democratic evolution, as it brought issues of corruption, corporate governance, accountability, and judicial independence to the very center of national and international debate.

Its repercussions extended far beyond the courtroom, challenging long-standing power structures, reshaping public expectations of transparency, and testing the resilience of Brazil’s institutions.

Brazil’s Biggest Corruption Scandal: A book that demanded dexterity

TG: What challenges did you face when writing the book, perhaps especially when attempting to obtain testimonies?

Ligia Costa: The primary challenge was to build genuine trust among participants while ensuring that the project maintained both academic rigor and absolute neutrality. Many of those interviewed occupied key institutional or political roles and had been directly involved in events that remained controversial in Brazilian society. Establishing an environment in which they felt safe to share their experiences and perspectives required careful preparation, transparent communication, and a strong commitment to ethical research practices.

The interviews often addressed highly sensitive subjects such as legal proceedings, political pressures, and personal experiences that carried deep emotional and professional implications. Safeguarding confidentiality and protecting the integrity of each testimony were therefore paramount. Every stage of the process, from initial contact to publication, demanded meticulous attention to research ethics and respect for the participants’ trust.

An additional challenge involved managing the complexity of translating the testimonies from Portuguese into English without losing their nuance, emotional resonance, or legal precision. Many statements contained technical language and culturally specific references that required thoughtful interpretation rather than literal translation. Preserving the authenticity of each voice while ensuring clarity and coherence for an international readership was one of the most demanding yet rewarding aspects of the work.

Testimonies from Operation Car Wash: Lessons that go beyond Brazil

TG: Why is this book important for practitioners, companies, and governments?

Ligia Costa: The book serves both as a case study and as a cautionary tale. For practitioners, executives, and corporations, it underscores how fragile governance structures, weak compliance frameworks, and the absence of an ethical culture can irreparably damage reputations, erode stakeholder trust, and destabilize entire economies.

The lessons drawn from Operation Car Wash extend beyond Brazil’s borders, offering a global perspective on the consequences of neglecting integrity, transparency, and accountability in the pursuit of political or financial advantage.

For governments and public institutions, the case demonstrates the fundamental importance of institutional independence, transparency, and the consistent application of the rule of law. It highlights how the sustainability of anti-corruption efforts depends on strong democratic institutions, effective checks and balances, and the active engagement of civil society and the media.

Ultimately, the book seeks to inspire reflection on how anti-corruption initiatives can be transformed from temporary responses into lasting frameworks for ethical governance. It argues that genuine progress requires the integration of justice, fairness, and institutional resilience, ensuring that the pursuit of integrity strengthens democracy rather than becoming politicized or short-lived.

TG: What lessons can governments and corporations around the world draw/learn from this case?

Ligia Costa: The central lesson is that meaningful anti-corruption efforts must extend well beyond the realm of punishment. Their ultimate purpose is to preserve institutional independence and ensure that accountability mechanisms are applied consistently and impartially. In Brazil, recent decisions by the Supreme Court to release convicted individuals and annul corruption evidence that had been lawfully obtained have once again revealed the fragility of institutional reforms when justice becomes vulnerable to political pressures.

Sustainable progress in combating corruption depends on integrity systems that are resilient, nonpartisan, and firmly grounded in the rule of law. Governments must uphold judicial independence, protect prosecutorial autonomy, and foster an environment where investigative journalism can operate freely and responsibly.

Corporations, in turn, must embed integrity, ethics and compliance into the core of their governance frameworks, not as formal obligations but as enduring values that shape corporate culture, promote transparency, and strengthen public trust.

TG: On a practitioner and academic level, progress in ethics & compliance has moved in leaps and bounds over the past 20 years. Yet, companies and governments still occasionally step over the line – why is that? What pressures actually urge the latter towards misconduct? Is it “naturally human” to do so, or are there specific contexts, characteristics or factors that encourage misconduct?

Ligia Costa: Misconduct often results from a convergence of pressure, rationalization, opportunity, and impunity. In many institutional, corporate, and political environments, the tolerance of unethical practices and the lack of effective accountability mechanisms create a permissive culture in which misconduct is not only possible but frequently rewarded. When individuals perceive that unethical behavior will go unpunished or that integrity carries personal or professional costs, impunity becomes self-reinforcing, eroding public trust and weakening the legitimacy of institutions.

Short-term performance goals, political incentives, and complacency toward so-called minor infractions provide fertile ground for corruption to flourish. Over time, such behavior becomes normalized, distorting organizational culture and diminishing the moral authority of leadership. The persistence of impunity transforms misconduct from an exception into a systemic feature, undermining both ethical norms and institutional resilience.

While self-interest is intrinsic to human behavior, it is the design of institutions and the moral example set by leaders that determine whether that self-interest is directed toward innovation and progress or toward corruption and abuse. Effective governance, therefore, requires the deliberate cultivation of ethical resilience through robust accountability systems, a culture of transparency, and continuous education. Only by confronting impunity and embedding integrity and ethics at every level of decision-making process can societies and organizations ensure that integrity is not situational but structural.

“When ethical conduct becomes a shared aspiration…” – Ligia Maura Costa

TG: What do you believe can be done to ensure justice, ethical behaviour and compliance?

Ligia Costa: Justice, integrity and ethics are sustained not only through the formal existence of laws, but through the strength of institutions that uphold them, particularly the judiciary, as well as through the education that shapes collective consciousness, and the depth of a society’s collective commitment to fairness and accountability.

Laws alone cannot guarantee justice. It is the strength of the institutions that enforce them, the independence of the judiciary that interprets them, the quality of education that informs them, and the civic culture that sustains them that determine whether ethical principles are truly lived or merely proclaimed. When institutions fail to act, or when impunity and inequality distort the application of justice, the moral foundations of a society begin to erode.

Strengthening integrity systems therefore requires more than isolated reforms. It depends on sustained collaboration among governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society, each playing a complementary role in fostering transparency, accountability, and civic awareness.

Public institutions must guarantee access to information and impartial enforcement; corporations must embed ethics and compliance at the core of their governance; universities must educate future leaders to think critically about responsibility and justice; and civil society must hold power to account and encourage participation in democratic oversight.

Transparency, access to reliable information, and credible enforcement mechanisms are indispensable elements of this architecture. Yet the most profound transformation occurs when integrity is no longer perceived as an external imposition, but as a source of legitimacy, trust, and long-term value.

When ethical conduct becomes a shared aspiration rather than a regulatory obligation, it strengthens the social fabric, enhances institutional credibility, and creates conditions in which justice, integrity and good governance can endure across generations.

Useful links:

• Link up with the author on LinkedIn
• Browse and buy the book from Waterstones: Brazil’s Biggest Corruption Scandal: Testimonies from Operation Car Wash
• Read a related article: São Paulo’s First Leniency Agreement Reached in Landmark Case
• Discover FGV EAESP, Brazil
• Apply for a graduate programme at the school.

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