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Ahead of the outcome of a Brazilian police investigation, Jair Bolsonaro promised to hand over the jewelry he received from Saudi Arabia to the Brazilian Court of Auditors. This is what the lawyers of the former Brazilian president claim. The jewelry may have been illegally imported into Brazil.
The ex-president is under fire from critics since the Brazilian newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo early March revealed that in October 2021 at Sao Paulo airport, customs officers intercepted a $3.2 million jewelry set for Bolsonaro’s wife.
The jewels of the Swiss brand Chopard were in the backpack of an assistant to Bolsonaro’s Minister of Mines and Energy when the delegation returned from an official trip to the Middle East. The minister, Bento Albuquerque, indicated that another set of jewelry had also been introduced into Brazil without being declared.
Personal gifts
Some of these jewels were in the possession of Bolsonaro. The former president kept a watch, pen and other luxuries for himself. He reportedly considered them personal gifts and believes he did nothing illegal with them.
Justice Minister Flavio Dino announced on Monday that Bolsonaro and his former minister would be called to testify about the jewelry. So now Bolsonaro’s lawyers have offered to hand over the jewelry, pending a decision. The lawyer pointed out that Bolsonaro “never intended to enrich himself with assets that could be characterized as public in any way.”
Under Brazilian law, goods worth more than $1,000 must be declared before they are brought into the country so that taxes can be levied on them. Donations from a country to the Brazilian state are tax exempt.
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