Former president Jair Bolsonaro will not be able to use or sell jewelry received from the government of Saudi Arabia. The determination was made by Minister Augusto Nardes, of the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), who accepted a request from the deputy attorney general of the body, Lucas Furtado.
In a decision published on Thursday night (9), Nardes determined that the former president must preserve “intact, as a trustee, until further deliberation by this court of accounts, refraining from using, disposing or disposing of any piece from the collection of jewels object of the process under examination”.
The broadcaster CNN said this week that Bolsonaro admitted having incorporated into his personal collection a box containing a wristwatch, a pair of cufflinks, a pen, a ring and a kind of rosary. The former president has yet to speak publicly about the case. In addition to this box, there are other items also received as a gift from the Arab government. It consists of a necklace, a ring, a watch and a pair of diamond earrings. These remain in possession of the Federal Revenue.
Rapporteur of the TCU process, Nardes also ordered investigations to verify whether the Federal Police and the Federal Revenue acted adequately in the investigation of the reported facts and whether these bodies suffered internal pressure from the high leadership of the previous government. The TCU is investigating the former president for attempting to illegally receive jewelry with a total estimated value of around three million euros, equivalent to around R$16 million.
“The Federal Court of Auditors informs that, in relation to the process that deals with […] regarding evidence of irregularities related to the attempt to enter the country of jewelry worth a total of 3 million euros, adopted the necessary measures to clean up the records by carrying out a diligence with the Federal Police and the Federal Revenue Service, as well as hearing of those responsible Jair Messias Bolsonaro and Bento Albuquerque, through the dispatch of the Rapporteur, Minister Augusto Nardes”, informed the TCU.
Minister Augusto Nardes
Bolsonaro’s ally, Nardes was chosen to report the case. Senator Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO) summoned the president of the TCU, Bruno Dantas, to ask for the minister’s suspicion.
At the end of November, Nardes requested leave from the TCU for five days after releasing WhatsApp audios. In the recordings, he stated that “a very strong movement was taking place in the barracks” and there would be a “very strong outcome in the Nation”, in reference to the anti-democratic demonstrations at the doors of barracks after Bolsonaro’s defeat at the polls.
As soon as the audios were leaked, Nardes’ advisory released a note in which he stated that the minister repudiates anti-democratic demonstrations and regretted the interpretation of the audio addressed to a group of friends.
