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Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been at the center of a scandal, being investigated for allegedly attempting to smuggle millions of dollars worth of diamond jewelry donated by Saudi Arabia.
Here’s what we know about the case, which could be both a legal and a political issue for the far-right ex-president (2019-2022), who is expected to return to office soon. Brazil from the United States, where he has resided since Lula da Silva became president on January 1st.
Where did the decorations come from?
Former Minister of Mining and Energy Jair Bolsonaro, Bento Albuquerque, who made an official visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2021, assured that an “envoy” from the Saudi government delivered two packages to his delegation at the end of their trip, according to what he told O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper.
Come back to BrazilCustoms prosecutors at Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paulo found that an Albuquerque assistant was carrying one of the boxes in his backpack without declaring it.
Officials found that the package was filled with jewelry from diamonds and arrested them for failing to pay the required import duties.
As seen in CCTV footage broadcast by local television, the former minister assured that the jewels were intended for First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro.
Speaking to police investigators Tuesday, Albuquerque tried to be less blunt, saying that because the jewelry was in question, he simply assumed it was for the former first lady, local media reported.
Administration Jair Bolsonaro he would have tried at least eight times to convince the customs inspectors to release the jewels, taking the final step on the penultimate day of his mandate.
The second package escaped customs control and was delivered to Jair Bolsonarowhich, according to Albuquerque, would have kept it.
Jair Bolsonaro reacted in the early days of the scandal: “They accuse me of a gift that I did not ask for and did not receive. There is no wrongdoing on my part,” he told CNN Brazil.
What was in the packages?
Both packages contained jewelry from the Swiss luxury brand Chopard.
The first contained a $3.2 million necklace, ring, watch, and pair of earrings.
The second contained a watch, a ring, a pen, a pair of cufflinks, and a rosary. According to Brazilian media, this set is valued at $75,000.
What is being researched?
According to Brazilian law, travelers entering the country with assets worth more than a thousand dollars must declare them.
In this case, the owner had to pay taxes on the importation of jewelry, equal to half the value in excess of one thousand dollars.
The ex-presidential wife could import the jewelry duty-free if they were declared as gifts to the state, but in this case the items would remain in the collection of the Planalto presidential palace.
“Government officials are expressly prohibited from accepting gifts of great value to themselves, even to the President of the Republic,” said Isac Falcao, president of Sindifisco, a union representing tax officials.
“Every government official knows this,” he told AFP.
The Federal Police (PF) and the Internal Revenue Service launched separate investigations into the case.
The head of the Senate Transparency Committee also announced an investigation to determine if the jewelry had any connection to the sale that year of an oil refinery in the northeastern United States. Brazil to the sovereign investment fund of the United Arab Emirates Mubadala for $1.650 million.
Where are the jewels?
The first set of jewels remains at Guarulhos International Airport.
The Federal Tax Service reports that the deadline for settling their legal status expired in July 2022, and that the objects can now be auctioned, donated, listed as national heritage or destroyed.
This was reported by the Brazilian media on Monday. Jair Bolsonaro he agreed to hand over the second set of jewels to the authorities.
What will happen now?
The Union Chamber of Accounts (TCU), which oversees the state treasury, ordered last week that Jair Bolsonar and Albuquerque were questioned by the police.
A date for his testimony has not yet been announced. Jair Bolsonar.
In a plenary session, the PTS may this Wednesday order the former president to return the jewels while the investigation continues.
The episode attracted little attention in Saudi Arabia, where there was no official response from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
(According to AFP)
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Source: RPP
I’m a passionate and motivated journalist with a focus on world news. My experience spans across various media outlets, including Buna Times where I serve as an author. Over the years, I have become well-versed in researching and reporting on global topics, ranging from international politics to current events.