Bento Albuquerque tells the PF that jewelry was a “state gift”

The former Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque, testified to the Federal Police, this Tuesday (14), about the case of the jewels that were delivered by Saudi Arabia to former President Jair Bolsonaro. At the time, he said that his entourage received the official items from the Saudi government as “state gifts” in October 2021.

Information about the deposition was presented by Albuquerque’s defense to the Portal G1. According to the lawyer, the former minister reported that there was no direction in the Middle Eastern country to whom the jewels should go, that is, “at no time was he informed that the jewels would be for Jair Bolsonaro or for Michelle”.

The case of the jewels came to light, on the 4th, with the report of the “Estado de S. Paulo” informing that the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) would have tried to bring to Brazil illegally, without paying taxes, jewels (necklace, ring, watch and a pair of earrings) and a watch that, together, would be worth around R$ 16.5 million. Justice Minister Flávio Dino called the PF on March 6 to investigate the jewelry package and the Federal Court of Auditors (TCU) ordered a hearing with Bolsonaro and Albuquerque about the case. Upon learning of the investigations, the former president denied that the gifts from the Saudi government were for his and his wife’s personal use.

This Monday (13th), the former president’s defense team informed that he is going to deliver the second set of gifts received from the Saudi government and that they would have gone through the Customs Office without supervision. The lawyers say, in a document filed with the TCU, that Bolsonaro did not intend to “have for himself assets that could, in any way, be held as public”.

After testifying to the PF, Bento Albuquerque should be exonerated from the board of directors of the Itaipu Binacional plant later this week, as confirmed to People’s Gazette, the Ministry of Mines and Energy this Monday (13).