Federal police investigators allege that a criminal ring allegedly linked to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro illegally embezzled and attempted to sell at least $1.2 million worth of luxury gifts from foreign leaders.
The new allegations came on Monday, three days after police formally charged the far-right politician with embezzlement, money laundering and colluding with criminal organizations, and threatened criminal charges. If Bolsonaro is indicted and convicted, those charges could amount to Reportedly He faces a total of 25 years in prison.
Brazilian media has described the scandal asThe Joyous IncidentThis roughly translates to “Jewelry Gate.”
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Monday approved the release of a 476-page federal police investigation report into the alleged criminal gang, whose existence came to light months after Bolsonaro left power after losing the 2022 election to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The report, seen by The Guardian, claims investigators found “evidence of a criminal ring organised to embezzle and later sell abroad expensive gifts received from the offices of former President Jair Bolsonaro and by Brazilian government delegations acting in his name during overseas trips.”
Investigators also allege that “money obtained from these sales was converted into cash outside the formal banking system through intermediaries in order to conceal their origin, location and ownership, and placed into the former president’s personal assets.”
The sums involved in the alleged fraud are substantial and potentially politically damaging for the president, a former army captain who has promoted himself as a clean, upstanding citizen despite years of corruption allegations and allegations. The police report is peppered with photos of lavish gifts allegedly embezzled from foreign governments, including a Chopard rollerball pen worth $20,000, earrings worth more than $126,000 and a special edition Rolex watch worth nearly $74,000.
Investigators allege that the results of the criminal scheme could have been used to fund Bolsonaro’s activities in the United States after he flew to the country on December 30, 2022, in the final hours of his four-year term as president.
The South American populist, who worships Donald Trump, has yet to comment on the latest allegations against him but has previously denied any wrongdoing during his presidency.
Speaking at a right-wing conference in southern Brazil this weekend, Bolsonaro insisted he was open to being grilled live by reporters for two hours “about anything,” but has yet to fully respond to the allegations and other claims against him, including allegations that he instigated riots in Brasilia in January 2023. Speaking at the conservative conference, Argentine right-wing leader Javier Millay claimed that his Brazilian “friends” were victims of the riots. “Judicial persecution.”
Brazilian investigators reportedly believe they have found strong evidence that President Bolsonaro was aware of and benefited from the Jewelrygate affair.
