Police Indict Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro In Undeclared Diamond Case: Report (image@jairbolsonaro)

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was indicted by the Federal Police of the country. He was convicted for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office, said AP.

Supreme Court of the country is yet to receive the police report with the indictment. Once the process is done, the country’s prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, will analyze the document and decide whether to file charges and force Bolsonaro to stand trial.

This is the second indictment against Bolsonaro after leaving office. The first one was in May, for allegedly falsifying his Covid 19 vaccination certificate. Unlike the first one, the money laundering indictment dramatically raises the legal threats facing the divisive ex-leader that are applauded by his opponents but denounced as political persecution by his supporters.

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Bolsonaro refused to comment on the issue. He and his lawyers have earlier denied any wrongdoing in both those cases, as well as other investigations into the former president.

Last year, the Federal Police accused the former leader of attempting to sneak in diamond jewelry worth $30 million and selling two luxury watches. The police said that Bolsonaro received cash from the nearly $70,000 sale of two luxury watches he received as gifts from Saudi Arabia.

Brazil requires its citizens arriving by plane from abroad to declare goods worth more than $1,000 and, for any amount above that exemption, pay a tax equal to 50% of their value.

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Notably, the jewelry would have been exempt from tax had it been a gift from Saudi Arabia to Brazil, but not Bolsonaro’s to keep for himself, but would have been added to the presidential collection.

As per the police investigation, Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp who allegedly falsified his COVID-19 records, in June 2022 sold a Rolex watch and a Patek Philippe watch to a store in the U.S for a total $68,000. They were gifted by Saudi Arabia’s government in 2019. Cid later signed a plea bargain with authorities and confirmed it all.

Apart from Bolosonaro, the police charged 10 others, including Cid and two of his lawyers, Frederick Wassef and Fábio Wajngarten, , said AP.

(Without inputs from AP)