Bolsonaro’s defense delivers weapons received as a gift to the PF

The defense of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) delivered to the PF (Federal Police) the weapons given by UAE authorities to the former Chief Executive. The delivery took place at the end of the morning of this Friday (24.Mar.2023), in Brasília.

Also this Friday (March 24), lawyers for the former president delivered the 2nd set of jewelry received by the government at a Caixa Econômica branch, in Brasília.

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O Power360 found that for the weapons to be handed over to the PF, a document called a traffic guide, issued by the Army, was required.

Around 11:40 am Brasília time, lawyer Paulo Cunha arrived accompanied by a man carrying a bag. A rifle and a pistol were delivered to the PF.

In addition to these weapons, Bolsonaro has stored 9 other weapons at the Army headquarters in Brasília, including 6 pistols, 2 rifles and a carbine.

On Wednesday (22.Mar), the TCU (Federal Audit Court) decided unanimously that Bolsonaro’s defense should deliver the jewels to Caixa and the weapons to the PF Administrative Police directorate, at the corporation’s headquarters building, in the federal capital.

On March 13, Bolsonaro’s defense had filed a petition to deliver the pieces of the Swiss luxury brand Chopard to the TCU until the final destination was defined.

BOLSONARO’S JEWELS

On March 7, the PF (Federal Police) had access to a document showing a 2nd package of jewelry from Saudi Arabia listed as the former president’s private collection. The new document contradicts Bolsonaro’s version, which claimed that the jewels donated by the Saudi government would be sent to the Union’s collection.

With the PF statement, Bolsonaro confirmed that the 2nd jewelry box of the Swiss luxury brand Chopard was listed as a personal collection. However, the former president continued to deny the illegality of the pieces.

Before that, newspaper report The State of S. Paulo revealed, on March 3, that the government of former president Jair Bolsonaro would have tried to bring jewelry to Brazil without declaring it to the Federal Revenue. The pieces, valued at BRL 16.5 millionwould be a gift from the government of Saudi Arabia to the then first lady Michelle Bolsonaro.

The set consisted of a necklace, ring, watch and diamond earrings with a certificate of authenticity from Chopard, the Swiss brand of luxury accessories.

The pieces were seized at the Guarulhos airport, in São Paulo. They were in the backpack of an advisor to the then Minister Bento Albuquerque (Mines and Energy), who was part of the federal government’s entourage in the Middle East, in October 2021.

The legislation determines that assets exceeding the value of US$ 1,000 must be declared. In this case, Bolsonaro would have to pay import tax equivalent to 50% of the value of the product and a fine equal to 25% of the total seized item – a total of R$ 12 million.

To enter the country without paying the tax, it was necessary to say that it was an official gift for the First Lady and the President of the Republic. In this way, the jewels would be destined to the Union’s assets.

According to the report, the former head of the Executive tried to recover the jewels another 8 times, using Itamaraty and officials from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and even the Navy, but failed.

Bolsonaro denied the illegality of the pieces and said he was being accused of a gift he neither asked for nor received. Michelle also said she was unaware of the set.

After the publication of the newspaper report The State of São Paulo who revealed the case, the former head of the Special Secretariat for Social Communication in the Bolsonaro government, Fabio Wajngarten, published a series of documents and stated that the jewels would go to the presidential collection.

Despite the letters released by Wajngarten, the Federal Revenue said on March 4 that the Bolsonaro government had not followed the necessary procedures to incorporate the pieces into the Union’s collection.