The previous Brazilian government tried to illegally bring jewelry from Saudi Arabia into Brazil for the wife of the then President, Jair Bolsonaro, valued at three million euros, reported the State of S. Paulo and confirmed the Social Communication Minister of Lula da Silva’s Government, Paulo Pimenta.
According to the investigation by the Brazilian newspaper, the necklace, ring, watch and a pair of diamond earrings carried by an advisor to the former Minister of Mines and Energy in the Bolsonaro government, Bento Albuquerque, were seized at Guarulhos airport, in Sao Paulo.
The advisor was part of the delegation led by the former President that visited the Middle East in October 2021.
The jewelry would be a gift from the Government of Saudi Arabia to the then First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro.
Meanwhile, the current Minister of Social Communication of Brazil shared a photograph of the seized goods saying that “Petrobras had just sold a refinery for US$1.8 billion to a group from Saudi Arabia”.
“Bolsonaro mobilized at least four ministries and the military until the last day of his government to ‘recover the pampering’ of Michelle. If they had been declared, the gifts could legally enter Brazil, but they would belong to the Brazilian government and not the criminal’s family!”, he denounced.
The Brazilian authorities retained the jewelry because, according to Brazilian law, it is mandatory to declare to the tax authorities any good that enters the country with a value greater than one million dollars.
“None of us knew what those boxes were”, guarantees Albuquerque to the Estadão.