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Police have accused Jair Bolsonaro of secretly auctioning jewels given to him when he was Brazil’s president.

Police have accused Jair Bolsonaro of secretly auctioning jewels given to him when he was Brazil’s president.

Among the stolen items was Chopard brand rose gold men’s jewelry given to Bolsonaro’s Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque by the government of Saudi Arabia (REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo)

Former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro benefited Diversion of gifts received during foreign official visits worth $1.2 millionAccording to a statement from the Brazilian Federal Police published this Monday.

The police confirmed that they were looking for a conspiracy in their investigation Illegal enrichment of BolsonaroHe was charged with embezzlement of public property, money laundering and criminal association along with 11 others on Thursday.

According to investigators, participants in the program were used Two tricks Diversion of official gifts based on whether their receipt is properly recorded.

Thus, there were unregistered people A copy of the historical document was directly stolen by the former president without going through the cabinet’s appraisalA presidential agency controlled by Bolsonaro advisers.

Meanwhile, other prizes were considered by the organization “Very Personal Property” According to the police, Bolsonaro can hold them based on a “legal interpretation that is completely against the constitutional foundations”.

Among the stolen property, there is a package Chopard Brand Rose Gold Men’s Jewellery The government of Saudi Arabia gave Bolsonaro’s energy minister, Bento Albuquerque.

In December 2022, With only a few days to go before the end of the Ultra leader’s tenure, the jewels were flown to America on the presidential plane.Where did they go? Auctioned.

Jewelry seized by customs officials at Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil during the week of March 24, 2023 (Brazilian Central Revenue Secretariat, File via AP)

Other luxuries received by the President during his official visits to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain befell the same. Two watches from the brands Rolex and Patek Phillipe.

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According to the police, in the United States, the middlemen of the former president negotiated with the intention of selling jewelry. “Hide the true owner and beneficiary” of the transaction.

Thus, the proceeds from the sale of the two watches first went into the general’s bank account. Mauro César Lourena CidFather of Bolsonaro’s personal aide and held an official government post in Miami.

In the following months, these resources were exchanged during individual meetings, “in part and in kind”For Bolsonaro, who lived briefly after the election defeat in Miami Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro sent 800,000 reais per account in the United States In the last days of his mandate, in December 2022 and after some verification, the police found that there was no movement during his stay in the US, till April 2023.

“This fact points to the possibility that the profits derived from the illegal sale of jewels diverted from public property in Brazil – after specific laundering operations – could return to the properties of the former president – Jair Bolsonaro and his family may have used the dollar to cover their expenses while on American soil.“, included a police report quoted by the TV station Or the globe.

It is also noted that “using cash to pay for day-to-day expenses is one of the most widely used means of recovering ‘dirty money’ in the formal economy with a formal appearance.”

The far-right leader, who is the subject of other investigations, has denied the charges and is waiting for the prosecutor’s office to decide whether to file a complaint.

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(with information from EFE and EP)