Brazil's Former President Jair Bolsonaro Indicted in Money Laundering: Report
By Jace Dela Cruz
Jul 05, 2024 10:30 AM EDT
Jul 05, 2024 10:30 AM EDT
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro was indicted by the country's Federal Police for alleged money laundering and criminal association.
A source who knew about the accusations told the Associated Press that the charges were related to undeclared diamonds he allegedly received from Saudi Arabia during his presidency.
(Photo : SERGIO LIMA/AFP via Getty Images)
A second source corroborated the indictment, though specific details of the charges were not disclosed. Due to the sensitivity of the information, both sources spoke anonymously to AP.
However, Brazil's Supreme Court has not yet received the police report. When it does, the prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, will review the case to determine whether to file formal charges and pursue a trial.
This indictment added to Bolsonaro's legal troubles following an earlier charge in May for allegedly falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination certificate. This latest development intensifies the former president's scrutiny, with critics seeing it as accountability and supporters decrying it as political targeting.
Jair Bolsonaro has yet to issue a statement regarding the new charges, but he and his legal team have previously denied any misconduct in this and other investigations.
Federal Police have accused Bolsonaro of trying to smuggle diamond jewelry valued at $3 million and selling luxury watches he received from Saudi Arabia without proper declaration in 2023.
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