The Brazilian Court of Auditors (TCU) ruled on Thursday that former President Jair Bolsonaro cannot use or sell jewelry he received from the government of Saudi Arabia.
The decision of the regulatory body, linked to the Brazilian Congress, was taken after the federal police opened an investigation to clarify the “illegal entry” into the country of several pieces of jewelry that the Saudi government had given to the then president and his wife. datum. Michelle Bolsonaro, in 2021.
The instructor of the trial at the TCU, the magistrate Augusto Nardes, indicated that with the “indications of irregularities” in the “attempt to enter the land of jewels”, worth three million euros, he has taken the “necessary measures ” Has taken. for “the diligences” of the police.
Bolsonaro, according to Nardes’ decision, must “keep intact” the set of jewels in the “quality of faithful custodian” until “the deliberation” of the TCU, “refrain from using or disposing of” all “goods containing the object part of the process”.
The police investigation will be conducted “under judicial secrecy” and “has an initial period of 30 days, with the option of extending it if necessary,” and will run in parallel with another investigation opened on Tuesday, police said.
The case was led by the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo, which alleged that the Bolsonaro government (2019-2022) tried to smuggle the jewels, worth 16.5 million reais (three million euros), into the country.
The tax authorities seized the jewels at Guarulhos International Airport, in São Paulo, after they were found in the backpack of an adviser who was part of the entourage of Bolsonaro Bento Albuquerque’s then Minister of Mines and Energy. The jewels were not correctly marked.
Among the jewelry seized was “a necklace, a ring, a watch and a pair of diamond earrings” from the Swiss brand Chopard.
Bolsonaro has tried several times to release the exclusive gifts before the end of his term, on January 1, 2023, but without success, the newspaper said.
The Brazilian press also reported that a second jewelry package, consisting of a watch, a pen and a ring, also belonging to Chopard, according to O Globo, apparently passed customs without being declared and managed to enter the country.
The second set would have been placed in the former president’s private collection, which could also lead to another irregularity if it were determined that the objects were not for personal use.
In a video from the airport’s security cameras released by the TV Globo channel, the former Minister of Mines and Energy is seen trying to free the jewels with customs prosecutors, claiming at one point that the package was a gift for Michelle Bolsonaro.
Source: DN
