In a petition, lawyers cite gifts received from foreign authorities by President Lula, in his two previous terms, and by former President Dilma
The defense of the former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) asked on Tuesday (30.Jul.2024) to PGR (Attorney General’s Office) the archiving of the investigation into the sale of jewelry received by foreign authorities. According to the Federal Police (Federal Police), the gifts that were attempted or diverted by Bolsonaro and allies total around R$ 6.8 million.
In the play, which the Poder360 had access, the lawyers argued that the former president “there was no way of knowing” that the gifts were not his, but rather the Union’s, as determined O TCU (Federal Court of Auditors) in 2016. Furthermore, upon becoming aware, Bolsonaro “worked with the competent bodies to ensure the safe delivery of the material in question in compliance with the determination”.
“In this context, lacking any minimum legal plausibility, it is clear that the initiation and continuation of this investigation are absolutely useless, unnecessary, Kafkaesque, distorting the public purpose and potentially characterizing prevarication and abuse of authority”they said.
Bolsonaro’s defense used as an example the incorporation of items received by the president into his personal assets Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) in the first 2 terms, from 2003 to 2010, and by the former president Dilma Rousseff (PT), from 2011 to 2016.
The document cited, for example, Lula’s luxury brand Piaget wristwatch, which, according to the PT member, was given by former French president Jacques Chirac during the celebrations of the Year of Brazil in France in 2005.
“It would be wonderful and commendable if such investigative prudence were applied indiscriminately to all citizens, however, strangely, this argument was raised and applied in relation to President Lula, but, again, no, it was in relation to Bolsonaro in a similar situation”he stated.
The lawyers also stated that one of the jewelry sets received was given by the Saudi Arabian Energy Minister, Abdulaziz bin Saltam Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who is not a head of state or government and, therefore, could be part of Bolsonaro’s personal collection.
Request access to “all digital or digitally obtained evidence” and the full record of the plea bargain made by Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid.
“All of this, naturally, must be made unrestrictedly available to the defense, in faithful obedience to the constitutional principles of due process and full defense,” they said.
UNDERSTAND THE CASE OF JEWELRY
The investigation, under the reporting of the minister Alexander de Moraes in the Supreme Court, investigates the diversion of luxurious gifts intended for then-president Bolsonaro by foreign governments.
Are they: a kit from the Swiss brand Chopard, 2 watches (one from the Swiss brand Rolex, accompanied by jewelry, and another from the Swiss brand Patek Philippe) and 2 gold-plated golden sculptures.
According to a report by the Federal Police, the items were sold to jewelry stores in the United States by allies of the former president. The police indicate that Bolsonaro was aware of the sale and repurchase scheme based on conversations on the WhatsApp app and search history on his cell phone.
In total, Bolsonaro and 11 other people were indicted for the scheme. Read below who they are and what their crimes are:
- Jair Bolsonaro, former President of the Republic (criminal association, money laundering and appropriation of public assets);
- Fabio Wajngarten, lawyer for the former president (criminal association, money laundering);
- Mauro Cesar Barbosa Cid, lieutenant colonel and former aide-de-camp to the former president (criminal association, money laundering and appropriation of public assets);
- Mauro Cesar Lorena Cid, general and father of Mauro Cid (criminal association and money laundering);
- Frederick Wassef, lawyer (criminal association and money laundering);
- Bento Albuquerque, former Minister of Mines and Energy (criminal association and appropriation of public assets);
- Marcos Andre dos Santos Soeiro, former advisor to Bento Albuquerque (criminal association and appropriation of public assets);
- Julio Cesar Vieira Gomes, former Secretary of the Federal Revenue Service (criminal association, money laundering, appropriation of public assets and administrative advocacy);
- Marcelo Silva Vieira, former head of the Historical Documentation Office of the Presidency of the Republic (criminal association, money laundering and appropriation of public assets);
- Jose Roberto Bueno Junior, former chief of staff of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (criminal association, money laundering and appropriation of public assets);
- Osmar Crivelati, Bolsonaro’s advisor (criminal association and money laundering);
- Marcelo Costa Chamber, former advisor to Bolsonaro (money laundering).
LULA’S GIFTS
As shown by the Poder360Lula received 9,037 items in his first 2 terms (2003-2010). Everything was removed in 11 containers, stored for 5 years at a cost of R$1.3 million paid by the construction company OAS.
In 2016, the TCU analyzed part of this collection, consisting of 568 items received during its first two terms, only during official visits by heads of state (2003-2006 and 2007-2010).
Of the amount analyzed, the PT member incorporated 559 items into his personal collection, according to data from the 2016 Personal Office of the Presidency provided for the Court of Auditors report and approved by the Court’s plenary on August 31, 2016. Read the full of the judgment (2 MB).
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