PF goes to the USA to check Bolsonaro’s jewelry case – 04/13/2024 – Power

The Federal Police will send a team to the United States to check transactions involving jewelry made by former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and his allies, such as former aide-de-camp Mauro Cid and his father, general Mauro Lourena Cid.

The researchers hope to make the trip this month. Only after this stage will the Brazilian investigation be concluded.

Since last year, following a request for international cooperation formalized by the PF to the US government, the FBI, the US federal police, began to collaborate with investigations by Brazilian authorities into the sale of jewelry and other luxury items received as gifts by the former representative. The agreement is called Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties.

The jewelry sent by the Saudi Arabian government to former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro was valued at R$5,602,897.30 by the Federal Revenue Service, according to columnist Mônica Bergamo.

The investigations showed that Bolsonaro and his assistants removed from the country, on the presidential plane, at least four other sets of goods received by the former president on international trips, as head of state.

The trip took place on December 30, 2022, the eve of Bolsonaro’s last day in office, to avoid following the democratic rite of passing on the banner to his elected successor, now President Lula (PT).

The Bolsonaro family maintains bank accounts in the United States, as does Mauro Cid. They may have been used in transactions, according to people who follow the investigations heard by the Sheet.

Furthermore, the store and auction house where the jewelry was traded are in the country. In this case, the objective is, from the first trip, to map who sought out these stores and to whom they passed on the proceeds from the sale.

A jewelry box given to Bolsonaro by Saudi Arabia was put up for sale by a New York luxury goods store early last year.

Last August, summoned to appear before the PF to be heard simultaneously about the case, Bolsonaro and Michelle decided to remain silent in front of the investigators.

They stated at the time, through their lawyers, that the PGR (Attorney General’s Office) did not recognize the jurisdiction of the Federal Supreme Court and Minister Alexandre de Moraes in the case of investigating the sale of jewelry abroad. At the time, the PGR was commanded by Augusto Aras, who held the position for four years after being appointed twice by Bolsonaro.

The jewelry investigation should be the second targeting Bolsonaro that the PF will conclude. The investigators’ idea is to also finish the investigation into a plot by the former president and allies to prevent President Lula from taking office by the middle of the year.

On another front, the PF indicted in March the former president, Mauro Cid, deputy Gutemberg Reis (MDB-RJ) and 14 other people in the case that investigates the falsification of vaccine certificates against Covid-19.

The investigation highlighted the suspicion of crimes of entering false data into a public system and criminal association, and the PF says that the fraud may have been carried out within the scope of the attempt to carry out a coup d’état in the country and prevent Lula from taking office.