Brazilian Police Charge Bolsonaro for Money Laundering and Criminal Association

Authorities concluded an investigation related to the jewelry that he received as a gift in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

On Thursday, the Brazilian Federal Police filed charges against Former President Jair Bolsonaro for the crimes of appropriation of public property, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit a crime.

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This happened after authorities concluded an investigation related to the attempted misappropriation of jewelry that the far-right politician received as a gift during his visits to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in October 2022. The charges cover Bolsonaro and eleven other people involved in the crimes.

“The police report containing the indictment has not yet been sent to Brazil’s Supreme Court. After it does, Paulo Gonet, the prosecutor general, will review the papers and determine whether to press charges or order Bolsonaro to appear in court,” Al Jazeera reported.

“In August 2023, a Brazilian Supreme Court judge gave police permission to search the bank accounts of Jair and Michelle Bolsonaro, who are accused of embezzling jewelry and official gifts while they were in office,” it recalled.

Rapaz! O empresário Cristiano Piquet prestou depoimento à Polícia Federal e confirmou ter transportado uma mala de joias do ex-presidente Jair Bolsonaro de Orlando para Miami (EUA).

Brasileiro, ele atua há 20 anos como corretor imobiliário no estado da Flórida e vive em Miami.… pic.twitter.com/i91wmyPiSE

— Lázaro Rosa ???????? (@lazarorosa25) July 5, 2024

The text reads, “Man! In statements before the Federal Police, businessman Cristiano Piquet confirmed he had transported a suitcase with jewelry from former president Jair Bolsonaro from Orlando to Miami.

This Brazilian has worked as a real estate agent in Florida for 20 years and lives in Miami. Inside the suitcase Piquet was carrying was a boat and a palm tree, both supposedly made of gold, given to Jair Bolsonaro in Bahrain.

These objects were taken from Brazil to the U.S. by Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s then aide-de-camp, on the presidential plane that departed from Brasilia on Dec. 30. Bolsonaro traveled to the U.S. to avoid passing the presidential sash to President Lula. Bolsonaro is a thief.

Currently, the far-right politician not only faces legal problems for jewelry valued at US$3 million that he tried to bring into the country without declaring them or paying taxes.

Bolsonaro is also accused of inciting a citizen uprising to generate a coup against President Lula da Silva in early 2023, an accusation that prevents him from running for any public office until 2030.

Similar to previous occasions, the former Captain denied being guilty of the accusations made by the Brazilian police. His behavior, however, caused immediate reactions.

“The accusation made by the Federal Police against Jair Bolsonaro in the jewelry case is one more step in the search for truth and justice! Bolsonaro, do not try to divert attention by telling lies about a president and a government that are repairing what you destroyed,” Workers’ Party President Gleisi Hoffmann said.

For a month, far right operatives aligned with the Bolsonaro family have been running coordinated disinformation campaigns designed to undermine relief efforts for flood victims in Rio Grande do Sul, sacrificing their well being for political ends. My story @telesurenglish pic.twitter.com/enzFfweQV4

— BrianMier (@BrianMteleSUR) June 1, 2024