BRASILIA: On Thursday, two police sources announced that Brazilian federal police had formally indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for converting the gifts he received while he was in office into personal assets, in particular luxury goods presented by the Saudi Arabian government.
This is the second time the police have filed a formal charge against Bolsonaro. In March, he was accused of forging his COVID-19 vaccination records.
Last year, under an investigation sanctioned by Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes, police raided the houses of military officers who are said to have helped Bolsonaro dispose of some jewellery in America.
At the time, Justice Moraes disclosed that someone had sold these items and did not declare it.
In October 2021, some jewelry intended as a gift for ex-first lady was confiscated at Sao Paulo International Airport after it was found in a backpack belonging to an aide returning from Riyadh.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – who succeeded Bolsanero and has been described recently as leftist – demanded immediate investigation into this matter and one of his ministers labeled what Bolsanero did as “smuggling”.
The G1 news website earlier on Thursday reported that Bolsonaro had been formally accused by the police.
