Embassy is provoked to clarify case of jewelry from Arabia – 07/03/2023 – Mônica Bergamo

The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Brasilia was officiated with a request for clarification on the millionaire set of jewels brought to Brazil by the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The document was authored by federal deputy Luciene Cavalcante (PSOL-SP).

The attempt by the Bolsonaro administration to illegally enter the country with the items, which took place in October 2021, is in the sights of investigative bodies. On Friday (3), the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo revealed that the articles, valued at R$ 16.5 million, were retained by the Federal Revenue Service at the Guarulhos airport.

In the letter sent to the embassy, ​​Luciene Cavalcante questions whether the jewels were offered by Saudi Arabia to the former president and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro or if they were a gift intended for the Brazilian government.

“If they were a personal gift for the former first lady, she committed the crime of embezzlement by not declaring the goods when entering the country to avoid paying taxes, in addition to administrative advocacy and influence peddling” , says the parliamentarian in a letter.

“If it was a gift for the Brazilian government, they incurred the crime of embezzlement when appropriating a public good”, he says, stressing to the diplomatic representation that the elucidation of the case is of paramount importance for Brazilian society and for investigations in course.

The PSOL deputy also sent a request to the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU). She asks that Jair Bolsonaro’s official agendas in the Arab country and the content of the meetings that resulted in the delivery of the jewels be made public.

In October 2021, a military adviser to the then Minister Bento Albuquerque (Mines and Energy) tried to land in Brazil with a series of luxury items in his backpack. As the goods had not been declared, they were seized by the Federal Revenue Service.

When speaking about the case, former president Jair Bolsonaro said he had neither asked nor received any kind of jewelry gift from the government of Saudi Arabia. “I am now being crucified in Brazil for a gift I did not receive. I saw it in some newspapers maliciously saying that I tried to bring illegal jewelry to Brazil. There is no such thing,” he said.

As the column showed this Tuesday (7), former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro claims that, as a “betrayed woman”, she was the “last to know” that jewelry would have been sent to her as a gift.

Michelle would also have no idea that the precious objects had been seized by the Federal Revenue over a year ago, and that the government of Jair Bolsonaro had mobilized to try to get them back.

Not even her husband, Jair Bolsonaro, would have passed on information to her after becoming aware of the episode. Michelle’s outburst was made to interlocutors after the case became a scandal last week.

According to former minister Bento Albuquerque told Sheetthe jewels were gifts from the government of Saudi Arabia to Jair Bolsonaro and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro and that would make up the historic collection of the Presidency.

The former holder of Mines and Energy said it was customary to exchange gifts at international events involving two countries. As the ex-manager and his wife did not attend, the entourage brought the boxes given as a gift by the Saudi government.

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HONOR

The Prerogativas group, which is composed of lawyers, jurists and public defenders, received the Silver Sage, the highest honor bestowed by the São Paulo City Council on society entities. The formal session took place on Monday night (6). Lawyer Marco Aurélio de Carvalho, coordinator of Prerogativas, state deputy Emidio de Souza (PT-SP) and his wife, lawyer and CNN commentator Gabriela Araujo, businessman Andrés Sanchez and jurist Celso Antônio Bandeira de Mello were present.

_{with BIANKA VIEIRA, KARINA MATIAS It is MANOELLA SMITH}

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