Brazil’s Bolsonaro formally accused over Saudi gifts, say sources

BRASILIA – Brazilian federal police on July 4 formally accused former president Jair Bolsonaro of embezzlement for misappropriating jewellery he received while he was head of state, including luxury items given by the Saudi Arabian government, two police sources said.

This is the second time police have formally accused Bolsonaro of a crime. He was

charged in March with forging his Covid-19 vaccine records.

The jewellery, some of it made by Chopard of Switzerland, was valued at US$3.2 million (S$4.3 million) and included a diamond necklace, ring, watch and earrings given to Bolsonaro and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro by the Saudi government.

Some of the jewellery was seized by Customs officials at Sao Paulo’s international airport in October 2021 when it was found in the backpack of a government aide returning from Riyadh.

The police accused Bolsonaro of money laundering, criminal association and embezzlement, according to one of the sources, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity.

Bolsonaro’s lawyer did not return calls requesting comment. His legal defence had previously denied Bolsonaro had committed any crimes. His eldest son, Mr Flavio Bolsonaro, who is a senator, wrote on social media platform X on July 4 that his father was being persecuted.

In an investigation authorised by Supreme Court Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes, the police in 2023 searched the homes of military officers who allegedly helped Bolsonaro sell some of the jewellery in the US.

At the time, Justice Moraes said the items had been sold, and the sale had not been declared.

According to a source, the police on July 4 also formally accused former mines and energy minister Bento Albuquerque, whose aide had returned with him from a visit to Riyadh, Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp Mauro Cid, who was allegedly involved in selling jewellery, his lawyer Frederick Wassef and his spokesman Fabio Wajngarten.

On his X account, Wajngarten said the accusation was “arbitrary, unfair and persecutory”, arguing he had just instructed Bolsonaro to return the gifts to Brazil’s audit court.

Cid’s lawyer noted in a statement that his client has been under a plea bargain agreement with the Brazilian authorities, saying the police accusation is just another phase of the investigation.

Wassef said in a statement that he only bought a watch in the US with his own money in order to return it to the Brazilian authorities. According to him, neither Cid nor Bolsonaro had told him to buy back the watch.

Albuquerque could not immediately be reached for comments.

News website g1 reported earlier on July 4 that the police had formally accused Bolsonaro.

Brazil’s prosecutor-general can now choose whether to charge Bolsonaro based on the police accusations. Later, the former president could be indicted if a judge accepts these potential charges. REUTERS