Brazil President’s Senator Son Faces New Graft Allegations, According to Reuters

Flavio Bolsonaro, Son of Brazilian President, Faces Money Laundering Accusations

Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, is under investigation for money laundering linked to the purchase of two luxury apartments in Rio de Janeiro, according to federal prosecutors and local media reports.

As a recently inaugurated federal senator, Flavio is grappling with corruption allegations that threaten the clean, law-and-order reputation his father leveraged during the successful presidential campaign last year.

Flavio has declined to meet with prosecutors and consistently avoids inquiries from journalists regarding the charges. In a written statement, he dismissed the accusations as unfounded and expected them to be dismissed.

Earlier this month, Brazil’s Supreme Court rejected Flavio’s appeal to halt an extensive investigation into suspicious cash transactions involving his former driver, Fabricio Queiroz.

Flavio, alongside his father and Queiroz, maintains their innocence regarding any criminal acts.

The investigation began after the Council for Financial Activities Control (COAF) flagged 48 dubious deposits totaling 100,000 reais made in a single month in 2007 into Flavio’s bank account. COAF also reported 7 million reais in questionable financial transactions related to Queiroz’s accounts.

Recent reports indicate that a federal police investigation is looking into Flavio’s real estate transactions conducted between 2014 and 2017, which may have led to a significant increase in his net worth. However, the police documents do not specify details about the apartment transactions or the amounts involved.

This timeframe aligns closely with the period during which 7 million reais in suspicious transactions were detected in Queiroz’s account.

The prosecutor general’s office has acknowledged receipt of the case from federal police but has not disclosed additional information. The federal police have not responded to requests for further comments.