Former Brazilian president Bolsonaro faces fresh scrutiny over financial dealings exceeding $5 million

Brasilia: Brazilian federal police have accused former president Jair Bolsonaro of receiving large sums of money without clear justification between March 2023 and February 2024, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press (AP). The findings may add to the mounting legal challenges faced by the former Brazilian leader.

Investigators report that Brazil's financial watchdog suspects a case of money laundering involving Bolsonaro, who is expected to face the verdict and sentencing phase of his trial in early September over an alleged coup plot.

Should the Attorney General proceed with formal charges, Bolsonaro could face a separate trial on allegations of obstruction of justice.

Bolsonaro has not commented on the most recent accusations. However, he has previously claimed that he is being politically persecuted by the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Investigation into obstruction of justice

The documents, acquired by the AP on Thursday, expand on an existing 170-page investigation into obstruction of justice. They allege Bolsonaro received over 30 million Brazilian reals (over $5 million), the majority of which had no clear explanation, alongside debits of a similar value during the same period.

He served as Brazil’s president from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2022.

AP accessed the documents, which have been submitted to the country’s Supreme Court. Much of the information from the financial watchdog originates from the state-owned bank Banco do Brasil.

Nearly 20 million reais (around £460,000) reportedly came through more than 1.2 million individual PIX transactions. Bolsonaro is also said to have invested a similar amount during this timeframe. The documents show further spending via wire transfers, deposit slip payments, cash withdrawals and currency exchange operations.

Federal police assert that Bolsonaro and his son, Eduardo, employed “several manoeuvres to dissimulate the origin and destination of financial resources, with the aim of financing and supporting activities of illegal nature of the lawmaker (Eduardo Bolsonaro) living abroad.”

Earlier, Bolsonaro’s legal team expressed surprise at the federal police’s decision to formally accuse him of obstruction of justice.

Request for political asylum in Argentina

The federal police investigation, revealed on Wednesday, also stated that Bolsonaro considered requesting political asylum in Argentina last year. Despite being under house arrest, he allegedly continued communicating with allies in recent weeks, in breach of precautionary legal measures.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, instructed Bolsonaro’s lawyers on Wednesday evening to explain within 48 hours why their client had not complied with the conditions of his house arrest.

Bolsonaro’s lawyers denied any violation of those terms.

“There was never noncompliance with any precautionary measure previously imposed,” they said in a statement, adding that they would provide further clarification on Bolsonaro’s recent actions to Justice de Moraes in due course.

Also on Thursday, one of Bolsonaro’s lawyers stated in a television interview that the former president never seriously considered applying for political asylum in Argentina.

Paulo Cunha Bueno told the media that Bolsonaro had received “every kind of suggestion” as the investigations progressed.

“Someone sent him that asylum request in February of 2024. He could have gone, but he did not. He didn't want it and he was neither in house arrest nor in ankle monitoring. He had every condition to flee and he did not,” Cunha said.

According to documents obtained by federal police, Bolsonaro wrote a 33-page letter to Argentine President Javier Milei, claiming political persecution in Brazil. Both leaders are known supporters of former US President Donald Trump, who has recently echoed Bolsonaro’s rhetoric in defending his own decision to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports.

Bolsonaro had his passport seized by Brazil’s Supreme Court on February 8, 2024. He has made several attempts to retrieve it, including before Trump’s inauguration earlier this year. Justice de Moraes denied all such requests, citing the former president as a flight risk.

Manuel Adorni, spokesperson for President Milei, said the Argentine government has not received any asylum request.

The verdict and sentencing in the coup plot trial will be delivered by a five-judge panel at Brazil’s Supreme Court. The rulings are expected between 2 and 12 September. The newly surfaced financial allegations will not be included in that decision.

AP