Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro indicted for laundering jewels from Saudi Arabia

The report on the “O Caso das Joias” scandal accuses the former president of misappropriating jewels received from foreign leaders, particularly from Saudi Arabia

New legal troubles for the former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. After the conviction arrived last March for criminal association and insertion of false data into the Health Ministry system as part of the investigation into the falsification of Covid-19 certificates, and the procedure for the attempted coup after losing the elections to Lula, the Brazilian federal police accused Bolsonaro Of having stolen jewels worth 6.8 million Brazilian reals (around 1.1 million euros) during his presidential mandate.

The new statements arrived on Monday 8 July, three days after the formal accusations against the former president of embezzlement, money laundering and criminal conspiracy. Bolsonaro faces a 25-year prison sentence.

In addition to Bolsonaro, they were indicted eleven other people from the former president's entourage between Bento Albuquerque, former Minister of Mines and Energy, Mauro Cesar Barbosa Cid and his father Mauro Cesar Lourena Cid, general of the army reserve, Fabio Wajngarten, Bolsonaro's lawyer and former communication secretary and the lawyer Frederick Wassef.The Brazilian media dubbed the scandal O Caso das Joias, which broke out after the seizure of part of the jewels at Sao Paulo airport inOctober 2021.

The case of Saudi jewels

It was implemented during the Bolsonaro presidency a major operation to evade the registration of gifts from foreign delegations, according to the report sent by the general prosecutor's office, so as to be able to sell them under the aegis of the former president.The money obtained from illicit sale of these gifts may have exceeded one million Brazilian reals (around 167 thousand euros) unduly acquired by those who proceeded with the sale.

Among the jewelery sold illegally, as well as Saudi jewels worth around three million euros, there would also have been a Patek Philippe watch given to Brazil by the authorities of Bahrain and a gun donated by him United Arab Emirates. The investigators they said it was possible the fruits of the alleged criminal scheme were used to finance Bolsonaro's activities in the United States when he left Brazil in the final hours of his four-year presidency, on December 30, 2022.

The court case broke out in March 2023, when the Federal Court of Auditors of Brazil, which controls the government's coffers, had ordered the police to question former president and former Minister of Mines and Energy Bento Albuquerque and the return of the jewels.

Reactions to the Bolsonaro case

The reactions from Bolsonaro's faithful did not take long to arrive.The eldest son of the former president, the senator Flavio Bolsonaro, stated that “the persecution of Bolsonaro is evident and shameless” and that the actions questioned by the Federal Police “did not cause any damage to the Treasury”.

Also Fábio Wajngarten, the former president's lawyer wrote on

After an initial silence, Bolsonaro he declared to be available to the federal police to respond to the accusations made against him.The former president also has accused the press of censoring him and made himself available for a long interview.
To date, just as following the outbreak of the scandal last year, no declarations have been received from the Saudi monarchy.