To justify their silence,Bolsonaro’s defence team argued that the case should be heard in Sao Paulo,where some of the jewellery was seized by customs agents at Guarulhos Airport when Bolsonaro representatives returned from official talks in the Middle East,and not in the jurisdiction of Brasilia.
The gifts of jewellery,expensive watches and gold-plated statuettes from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were never declared,and only came to light when Bolsonaro tried to recover a batch seized by customs,police investigations showed.
A diamond necklace,ring,watch and earrings,made by Chopard of Switzerland,worth about $US3.2 million ($4.9 million)were given to the then president and his wife and were found in the backpack of a government aide who had travelled to Riyadh with then energy minister Bento Albuquerque in October 2021.
Brazilians are allowed to import $US1000 or less worth of goods when returning from overseas. Hefty taxes apply for anything over that value.
After the presidential gifts became a matter of public knowledge,a court ordered the couple to hand them over to the state. Bolsonaro aides and his lawyer then sought to buy back items that had been sold in the United States,the police said.
Prosecutors said the correct jurisdiction for the case was Brasilia,where the investigation was ordered by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.