By Maria Carolina Marcello
BRASILIA (Reuters) – The Federal Audit Court (TCU) ruled on Wednesday that former president Jair Bolsonaro should hand over to the government a third set of jewelry received as a gift from Saudi Arabia, and warned that last week’s decision had already required the presentation of all items offered by the Saudis.
Dispatch by TCU Minister Augusto Nardes responds to the petition by deputies Luciene Cavalcante (PSOL-SP), Fernanda Melchionna (PSOL-RS) and Sâmia Bomfim (PSOL-SP) on the third batch of jewels.
“As for the request to determine the delivery of a third set of jewels, including a Rolex watch, the order clarifies that the decision issued by this Court … had already determined the delivery of all items received as gifts on the visit of the presidential delegation to Arabia Arabia,” argues Nardes in the document, referring to the court’s decision last week.
“Thus, a warning was issued to former President Jair Messias Bolsonaro in the sense that, if there are other gifts received from the government of Saudi Arabia, they must be returned immediately, depending on their nature… of non-compliance with the decision of this court.”
By determination of the TCU, which granted a period of 5 days in the last week for the delivery of the gifts, the former president’s defense had already forwarded to Caixa Econômica Federal a set of jewelry received on an official visit to Saudi Arabia.
Another gift, received from the United Arab Emirates – a Caracal rifle, model CAR 816, caliber 5.56 and a pistol of the same brand, model 1911, caliber 9x19mm – was left at the Federal Police.
A first jewelry case, valued at 16.5 million reais, which would have former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro as its recipient, had been retained by the Federal Revenue after attempting to illegally enter the country. The package was delivered to Caixa Econômica Federal.
A report by the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo pointed out on Tuesday that the former president received a third package of jewelry from Saudi Arabia valued at more than 500,000 reais –including a gold Rolex watch studded with diamonds– taken by him when left the Presidency.
According to Estadão, this set would have been handed over to Bolsonaro when he was on an official trip to Doha, Qatar, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in October 2019. The other two sets of jewelry were sent to Bolsonaro and to then First Lady, Michelle.
Bolsonaro returns to Brazil on Thursday, after nearly three months of self-exile, with the intention of leading the opposition to the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
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