The former President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has been formally accused of a scandal involving undeclared diamond jewels gifted by Saudi Arabia. Brazilian media reports that Bolsonaro has been accused of money laundering and embezzlement, among other charges, by the federal police.
The Supreme Court is yet to receive the formal police report related to the indictment. Once the top court receives the report, the country’s prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, can decide on it. It is up to the prosecutor general whether to file a charge and put Bolsonaro on trial.
In August, police reported that Bolsonaro received cash from selling two luxury watches which he had received as gifts from Saudi Arabia, totalling nearly $70,000. Brazilian law mandates that citizens returning from international trips declare goods exceeding $1,000 in value and pay a tax of 50% of their worth above that threshold.
If the jewellery had been officially gifted from Saudi Arabia to Brazil, it would have been tax-exempt. However, since it was intended for Bolsonaro personally, it should have been added to the presidential collection and not kept for his private use.
Apart from Bolsonaro, police charged 10 other people, including Cid Gomez and two of his lawyers, Frederick Wassef and Fábio Wajngarten, as per local sources. Wassef mentioned in a statement that he has not seen the final investigation report and criticised the selective release of information to the media, especially when the investigation is supposed to be confidential.
Flávio Bolsonaro stated on X following Thursday’s indictment that the accusations against his father were “obvious and shameless persecution.” Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of the former president, has been serving as a member of the Federal Senate of Brazil since 2019.
The former Brazilian president led South America’s largest country during his term from 2019 to 2022.
Diamond scandal in Brazil
In the month of October 2022, customs inspector officials seized undeclared diamond jewellery worth $3.2 million. The jewellery, including items from Chopard of Switzerland such as a necklace, ring, watch, and earrings, had been given to Brazilian President Bolsonaro and former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro by the Saudi government during a trip to the Middle East.
Some of these items were discovered in a government aide’s, reportedly from Bolsonaro’s Mining and Energy Ministry entourage, backpack upon their return to Sao Paulo’s international airport from Riyadh. Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing in this matter, and his supporters have denounced these accusations as political persecution by the opponents.
Supreme Court Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes had authorised a search operation last year in the homes of military officers who had allegedly helped the former president sell the jewels in the United States. It revealed that the items were sold, but the sale was not declared, which is viewed as a violation of public ethics and transparency laws.
Ex-president under scrutiny
Previously, Bolsonaro had been under scrutiny by the federal police for falsifying COVID-19 vaccination records. This indictment was in the month of March 2024, possibly indicating the upheaval of further accusations against the former president. The police stated that the former president and sixteen others, including his daughter, entered false data into the public health database to show that they had received the vaccination for COVID-19. During the pandemic, he publicly expressed his concerns about the vaccine and its health implications.
He is also under investigation for his part in the Congress attack of January 2023. He was accused of plotting the storming of the capital after his defeat in the 2022 elections.
The allegations that are coming up serve to tighten his legal threats as the far-right leader grapples with accusations from the federal police.
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