A diamond-adorned Rolex watch, once bestowed upon Jair Bolsonaro by Saudi Arabia, has found itself at the center of a controversy, as reports indicate its sale at Precision Watches & Jewelry, situated near Philadelphia, has ignited an investigation into the conduct of the former President of Brazil concerning presents from overseas governments.
The predicament of legal ramifications is not unique to Donald Trump among former presidents.
Jair Bolsonaro, erstwhile leader of Brazil, finds himself ensnared in several criminal probes within his native land. Among these, as detailed by The New York Times, is an investigation with ties to a Rolex watch, a gift received during his tenure, that was purportedly liquidated by an associate at a shopping complex in the vicinity of Philadelphia.
Brazil’s federal police are currently delving into potential instances where Bolsonaro and his allies may have been involved in the misappropriation of gifts bestowed upon him during his tenure by foreign governments. The origins of this investigation trace back to an event in 2021 when a Brazilian official was apprehended while carrying unreported jewelry valued at $3 million in their backpack following an official sojourn to Saudi Arabia. The official alleged these jewels were presents for Bolsonaro and his wife, Michelle, from the Saudi government. Subsequent efforts by Bolsonaro to reclaim the items have been documented. Federal authorities assert that their inquiry has unearthed indicators of embezzlement and money laundering.
One instance spotlighted by the Times underscores Bolsonaro’s personal aide, Lt. Col. Mauro Cid, who stands accused of endeavoring to vend a Chopard jewelry set crafted from 18-karat gold, valued at $140,000. In another episode, Cid purportedly sold a diamond-festooned Rolex timepiece (another offering from Saudi Arabia) and a Patek Philippe watch gifted by the government of Bahrain. This transaction took place at Precision Watches & Jewelry, a merchant housed within Willow Grove Park mall, located just north of Philadelphia. Bolsonaro, it is alleged, received $68,000 in cash in exchange for these items.
Bolsonaro and his legal representatives contend that the bestowed gifts are at his discretion to handle, a standpoint not universally accepted. Brazilian legislation permits former presidents to retain certain personal gifts, but items of substantial value, such as jewelry, are subject to different guidelines. While a government-appointed board has asserted that many of the items that Bolsonaro’s associates sought to sell are indeed personal possessions, the presiding judge overseeing the case cites evidence that the board may have encountered external pressure to adopt this stance. Regardless, even if the jewelry were indeed Bolsonaro’s personal belongings, protocol would dictate securing permission to liquidate them—an authorization that was allegedly absent.
In this imbroglio, Bolsonaro does not stand solitary in confronting inquiries into the disposition of foreign gifts. Trump himself has faced allegations of insufficient documentation pertaining to more than one hundred foreign gifts collectively valued beyond $250,000. It is paramount to note that both figures are contending with legal issues that extend beyond these matters. The former United States president, for instance, has incurred four indictments in the present year alone, the most recent concerning alleged endeavors to overturn the outcome of the 2020 Georgia election. In parallel, Bolsonaro, his counterpart from Brazil, finds himself incapacitated from seeking public office until 2030 at the earliest, a consequence of propagating unverified claims regarding the nation’s electoral system subsequent to his unsuccessful reelection bid last year. Beyond these intricacies, Bolsonaro is also entangled in additional pending legal proceedings.
