Elected on an anti-corruption platform, links between President Jair Bolsonaro and a scandal involving the misapplication of public funds are becoming closer every day. Made public on Friday, evidence shows that First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro received regular checks from retired military policeman Fabrício Queiroz, singled out as the operator of a scandal involving parliamentary staffers transferring part of their salaries to their elected bosses. Investigators found that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the president’s eldest son, received kickbacks from his employees during his time as a Rio de Janeiro state lawmaker, intermediated by Mr. Queiroz. Furthermore, there are indications that Mr. Bolsonaro paid personal bills using the proceeds of the corruption scheme, as well as using a part of the money to purchase a company.
The Brazilian Report had access to key documents of the investigation launched 20 months ago. Among the files, there is a report from Rio de Janeiro prosecutors showing links and proof of the salary-skimming scheme operating within Flávio Bolsonaro’s office. There is also the document upon which the arrests of Fabrício Queiroz and his wife, Márcia Aguiar, were based. Three weeks ago, the couple were placed on house arrest after Mr. Queiroz spent 14 days in jail. Both have refused to collaborate with investigations.
The latest bombshell in the case broke on Friday, courtesy of online magazine Crusoé and confirmed by other outlets, including The Brazilian Report. Crusoé revealed that Mr. Queiroz’s bank statements showed Flávio Bolsonaro’s former aide signed 21 checks in the name of First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro between 2011 and 2016, with a total value of BRL 72,000 (USD 13,200).
The Brazilian Report ascertained that the values transferred between the Queiroz and Bolsonaro families were in fact larger. Besides her husband, Márcia Aguiar also deposited five checks worth BRL 3,000 and one worth BRL 2,000 into Mrs. Bolsonaro’s account, adding up to an extra BRL 17,000.
We also noticed that Mr. Queiroz’s deposits into the First Lady’s account followed a pattern of BRL 3,000 or BRL 4,000 per month. One spreadsheet shows at least 21 checks worth BRL 3,000 deposited between 2011 and 2018: three in 2011, six in 2012, three in 2013, and another three in 2016.
Furthermore, the bank statements showing transactions from Mr. Queiroz and Ms. Aguiar to Mrs. Bolsonaro contradicts the president’s version of events. When the salary embezzlement scandal broke, it was reported that Mr. Queiroz had deposited just BRL 21,000 in checks to Michelle Bolsonaro. The following day, President Bolsonaro told journalists that they totalled BRL 40,000, in ten BRL 4,000 payments, as repayment for a loan. Mr. Bolsonaro also stressed that Fabrício Queiroz had been his friend for over 30 years. However, prosecutors found no record of this loan among Mr. Queiroz’s banking records.
Since the latest revelations, no member of the Bolsonaro family has spoken publicly about the case. Mr. Bolsonaro has even avoided speaking to his most assiduous supporters, who gather around his official residence every morning. The president’s office has said it will not be issuing a statement on the matter, though close advisors — especially those from the military wing of the government — have admitted behind the scenes that the scandal has worsened significantly.
Unlike Flávio Bolsonaro, Michelle Bolsonaro doesn’t hold public office and cannot simply resign. Neither can she benefit from parliamentary immunity. There is also lingering doubt over whether President Bolsonaro was a direct beneficiary of the corruption scheme, which would see him lose political capital and, consequently, his job. Below, we outline the details of why the Bolsonaro family has remained quiet and the president’s closest advisors have shown concern, with facts that could lead to the opening of a parliamentary hearings committee to investigate the full involvement of the First Family in skimming salaries from public servants.
Records contain suspicious transactions
The tithe-like corruption scandal came to light thanks to an investigation launched by the Operation Car Wash task force in Rio de Janeiro. On January 3, 2018, corruption specialists from the Rio state prosecution service received a report from Brazil’s money laundering enforcement agency (Coaf) containing spreadsheets with the names of 75 current and former public servants of the state’s legislative assembly. Upon analyzing the amounts involved, investigators also came across atypical bank transactions.
The document was commissioned by federal prosecutors as part of Operation Furna da Onça, an offshoot of the Car Wash probe to investigate a bribery scheme by which politicians were paid to support the interests of former Rio Governor Sérgio Cabral. Flávio Bolsonaro, who was a state lawmaker between 2003 and 2018, was not under investigation. However,...
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