Bolsonaro To Be Accused of Illegally Importing Jewelry

On Monday, Brazil's Justice Minister Flavio Dino will present an accusation against former President Jair Bolsonaro to the Federal Police for receiving jewels without having declared them to evade taxes.

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“Among other things, the facts related to jewelry that may constitute crimes of embezzlement, embezzlement, and money laundering,” Dino tweeted.

This case refers to a necklace, ring, watch, and earrings that Saudi Arabia's Prince Muhammad Bin Salman gave to former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro. Subsequently, an adviser to the former Minister of Mines Bento Albuquerque tried to smuggle these jewels into Brazil.

In October 2021, the Federal Police seized the jewelry at the Sao Paulo's Guarulhos airport. This happened because those jewels had been valued at three million euros. So whoever transported them was violating rules on the maximum value of objects that a traveler can bring into Brazil.

In December 2022, after four failed attempts to recover the jewels, Bolsonaro sent a letter to the Income Tax Office requesting the transfer of the jewels to the Presidency. This request, however, was denied.

In order to recover an item confiscated by the Tax Service, a person must pay the import tax, which is equivalent to 50 percent of the estimated value of the object. Also, a fine of over 25 percent had to be paid for attempting to smuggle the object.

“They accuse me of a gift that I neither asked for nor received. I have not committed any illegal act," said Bolsonaro, who has been residing in Miami and avoiding returning to Brazil to face various lawsuits against him.