Brazil: Police raid Bolsonaro aides over jewels probe

Police in Brazil on Friday (August 11) raided homes of aides of former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro. These aides have been accused of reselling gifts from foreign dignitaries, including jewellery for the "illicit enrichment of" the former president.

Bolsonaro, a divisive right-winger, has categorically denied allegations of wrongdoing. His lawyers have said that he "never appropriated or misappropriated any public good," in a statement posted on the G1 news site.

The scandal was reported earlier this year. The newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo reported that customs officials had seized some jewels from a government aide. The aide had attempted to bring them into the country undeclared in his backpack in 2021.

According to Brazilian law, public officials are barred from keeping expensive gifts.

Elements of the police investigation were disclosed in a judgment by Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes to justify search warrants carried out by federal police on Friday at the homes of former Bolsonaro aides.

"The evidence collected showed (the existence) during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, of a network to divert goods of a high amount which were offered to him," part of the judgment read.

"Beyond allowing an inadmissible enrichment of the President of the Republic... it is possible that the Brazilian head of state was co-opted by foreign nations through these assets," investigators believe.

The investigators also reported goods placed in "a suitcase transported on the presidential plane on December 30". At that time, Bolsonaro was leaving Brazil for the United States. This was two days before the inauguration of his successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The state gifts include two sculptures given by Bahrain during a state visit in 2021. They also include gifts from Saudi Arabia. This consisted of a luxury watch and a luxury fountain pen.

One of those suspected of reselling these gifts is Mauro Cid, a former top aide to Bolsonaro, who has been in prison since May over falsification of Covid-19 vaccination certificates.

Investigators say that Cid mentioned in an audio message that "25,000 dollars in cash" would be obtained which will be for the ex-president.

Known for a brash style that earned him the nickname "Tropical Trump," Bolsonaro, the former army captain turned congressman surged to prominence as a presidential candidate in 2018 by playing to voters disgusted with corruption and economic mismanagement.

After presiding over a presidency marked by scandals including his handling of Covid-19, Bolsonaro has now been barred from office for eight years over his unproven claims of massive fraud in the country's election system.

(With inputs from agencies)

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