(AFP) – Brazilian police on Thursday questioned ex-president Jair Bolsonaro as part of a probe into his son Eduardo for allegedly seeking US sanctions as retribution against a judge investigating his father. The elder Bolsonaro presented himself to federal police headquarters in Brasilia for questioning, four days before he is due to go on trial to face accusations of plotting a coup.
The far-right one-termer risks up to 40 years in prison if convicted of plotting to overturn the results of October 2022 elections, which he lost to the left-wing Lula. Jair’s son Eduardo Bolsonaro, 40, moved to Washington in February, where he started a campaign to drum up support for his father — an ally of US President Donald Trump. He also allegedly pushed for sanctions against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who spearheaded the investigation into his father.
Moraes is a figure of hate for the Bolsonaros, who have labelled him a “dictator.” Last week, Moraes ordered a probe of the younger Bolsonaro for alleged obstruction of the investigation into his father and demanded that both father and son be questioned. Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday admitted to transferring 2 million reais (around $358,000) to his son in the United States so that he could “work for democracy in Brazil” but insisted the transfers were legal.
Referring to his upcoming trial, Jair said he was “very happy to have the opportunity to clarify what happened.” Prosecutors say Brazil’s president from 2019-2022 led a “criminal organization” plotting to undo the presidential election victory of his leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The plot failed, the charge sheet says, because of a lack of military backing. Bolsonaro also stands accused of being aware of a plot to assassinate Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin, and judge Moraes.
© 2024 AFP
