Bolsonaro’s son under scrutiny
Global Times
1574631815000


777.jpg

Jair Bolsonaro (1st L) and his wife Michelle Bolsonaro attend the inauguration ceremony in Brasilia, capital of Brazil, on Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua)

Brazilian prosecutors have started a new investigation into the eldest son of President Jair Bolsonaro over suspicion he embezzled public money by hiring "ghost employees," officials said.

The Rio de Janeiro Prosecutors' Office said in a statement Saturday they were investigating Flavio Bolsonaro - a 38-year-old senator - in relation to "the employment of ghost employees" from his cabinet.

The events in question date to the period he was regional deputy of the State of Rio. 

Flavio's father, the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, took office on a promise of eradicating corruption but has been repeatedly hit by scandals involving his son.

At the beginning of the year another investigation initially focused on Flavio's former bodyguard and driver, a policeman named Fabricio Queiroz.

Brazil's government anti-financial crimes agency COAF detected 1.2 million reais in transactions made in 2016 through Queiroz's accounts (equivalent to $344,500 according to average exchange rates that year), far exceeding his salary.

One transaction was a ­deposit to an account belonging to President Bolsonaro's wife ­Michelle. 

The president said it was repayment of an undeclared loan he had made to Queiroz.

Later, it was revealed that COAF also found 48 deposits to Flavio Bolsonaro's account in June and July 2017 - some made within minutes of each other - that totaled 96,000 reais.

Both Queiroz and Flavio Bolsonaro denied wrongdoing in media interviews.