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The out-voted Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro (67) is said to have tried to smuggle jewelry worth about three million francs to Brazil. The necklace, ring, watch and diamond earrings were a gift from Saudi Arabia and are creations from Swiss brand Chopard, based in Geneva.
Bolsonaro received the jewelry during his term of office in October 2021 for his First Lady Michelle (40). The gift was confiscated at São Paulo International Airport, where customs officials found the valuables in a soldier’s backpack.
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The problem: Bolsonaro should have registered and taxed the gifts. This is reported by the Brazilian newspaper “O Estado de São Paulo”. She claims four attempts were made to recover the gifts in the last two months of Bolsonaro’s term.
The only way to get the jewelry back is to pay the mandatory import tax of 50 percent of the value of the item in question and a fine of 25 percent of the value for not declaring the item in the first place.
The other option would be to declare them as “official gifts to the President of the Republic and the First Lady”, but the paper explains that that way they would belong to the Brazilian state and not to the Bolsonaros.
The Ministry of Finance, in response to the newspaper article, said: “Every Brazilian citizen is subject to the same customs laws and regulations, whether or not he or she holds any public office or position.” It is possible that “the asset will be auctioned, with 40 percent of the proceeds going to Social Security and the rest going to the state treasury.” Donations, incorporation into public property or even destruction are also possible.
Personal purchases into state account
Current Presidency Communications Minister Paulo Pimenta (57) of the Labor Party, furious on Twitter: “The newspaper report reveals shocking details about how the system of bribes, gifts and illicit benefits of Bolsonaro, his relatives and close advisers worked. They deserve to be investigated and punished for the crimes they have committed.”
During his tenure, Bolsonaro boasted several times that, unlike his predecessors, he had spent “not a single penny” on the president’s credit card. However, he is also accused of looting the state credit card for personal expenses.
Investigations against Bolsonaro
Bolsonaro wanted to keep the information secret for a hundred years, along with thousands of other documents. However, current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (77) published it. This shows, among other things, that Bolsonaro had spent 20,000 francs in a simple restaurant and 13,000 francs at a gas station.
Bolsonaro lost to left-wing politician da Silva in the second election in October and left office at the turn of the year. Two days before the end of his term on New Year’s Eve, Bolsonaro flew his family to Florida, where he has been since and where he was celebrated on Saturday by the Conservative Political Action Conference along with ex-US President Donald Trump (76). In this organization, the conservatives of the conservatives of the United States unite.
On Saturday, Bolsonaro said there had never been any illegal activity from him and that it was a gift he never asked for and never received. Brazil’s Supreme Court is currently investigating Bolsonaro for his role in the storming of the government district in Brasília in early January. (gf)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
