Ex-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro indicted in money laundering case

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was indicted on charges of money laundering and connections to undeclared diamonds he accepted from Saudi Arabia while in office, according to the Associated Press.

The indictment comes after the Federal Police accused Bolsonaro last year of attempting to smuggle in diamond jewelry worth $3 million as well as selling two luxury watches, the outlet reported. Bolsonaro received nearly $70,000 from selling the watches, which were gifts from the Saudi Arabian government in 2019.

Under Brazilian law, citizens arriving by plane from abroad must declare goods worth more than $1,000 and pay a tax equal to 50% of their value for any amount above that.

The investigation found that one of Bolsonaro’s top aides, Mauro Cid, sold a Rolex watch and a Patek Philippe watch to a U.S. store in June 2022 for a total of $68,000, according to the outlet.

The jewelry would have been exempt from the tax had it been a gift from Saudi Arabia to the country of Brazil, but Bolsonaro would be barred from keeping it for himself. Instead, it would have been added to the presidential collection.

Bolsonaro and his lawyers have denied any wrongdoing.

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The indictment is just one of several criminal investigations into the former president, who was also charged with allegedly ordering an aide to alter public health records to falsify his COVID-19 vaccination certificate as well as his involvement. Bolsonaro is also under investigation for inciting a riot in Brazil’s capital in January 2023 in an effort to block his successor from taking power.

Brazil’s Supreme Court has not yet received the police report with the indictment, according to the Associated Press. Once it does, the country’s prosecutor general will determine whether to file charges and force Bolsonaro to stand trial.