Following the scandal, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro testified on Wednesday before the federal police about jewels he received from Saudi Arabia and which he kept after leaving power without authorization.
Bolsonaro’s statement “passed in an absolutely calm manner, having responded to all requests from the Federal Police. It was an excellent opportunity to clarify the facts”, confirmed former minister Fabio Wajngarten, a close collaborator of the former, on social media. leader.
The interrogation reportedly lasted about three hours at the Federal Police headquarters in Brasilia, where Bolsonaro drove in and out, without being seen or making any statements.
The former president thus responded to the three parcels of jewels he received as a gift from the Saudi authorities throughout his mandate (2019-2022), the existence of which was revealed by the press in recent weeks.
Strictly speaking, Bolsonaro appropriated two of those sets, valued at $100,000 and $75,000 respectively, which he was supposed to deliver to the state.
A third set of jewels, valued at an estimated $3.2 million, was seized at customs at Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo.
That package was found in the backpack of a councilor who was part of Bolsonaro’s delegation, who tried to introduce the jewels into the country without declaring them.
As they stated when the case became public, the former president’s lawyers reiterated that no illegality had been committed. But the truth is that the two packages of jewels that were in the possession of the far-right leader were deposited just last month in a public bank, at the request of the Court of Auditors.
Bolsonaro’s interrogation took place after his return to Brazil last Thursday, after spending three months in the United States.
Since leaving power on January 1, Bolsonaro has been out of control, so he can answer in the Common Justice of the various cases in which he is under investigation, for dissemination of false information and alleged economic and power abuses, among other causes.
For now, five trials remain before the Supreme Court, one of which seeks to ascertain the intellectual paternity of the assault on the headquarters of the three powers of the nation, perpetrated on January 8 by thousands of Bolsonarists, to try to force a coup d’état against the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.