Jair Bolsonaro claims to be under media attack after a news site reported members of the president’s family bought 51 properties for $4.7M.
Bolsonaro was elected in 2018 on an anti-corruption platform, bolstered by the rejection of the tarnished left.
(Reuters Archive)
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has claimed to be under attack from the media as he brushed aside allegations of corruption levelled against his family a month before he seeks reelection.
The online news site Uol published claims on Tuesday that members of the Bolsonaro family had bought 51 properties, paid partly or fully in cash, for a total of $4.7 million between 1990 and 2022.
"Why are they doing this against my family? Half of these assets belong to my ex-brother-in-law. What do I have to do with him? We have not seen each other for ages," the far-right president told the pro-government Jovem Pan radio on Thursday.
Uol said in reply that eight of the 51 properties cited in the report belonged to Bolsonaro's brother-in-law.
Making large cash payments is not a crime in itself, but can raise questions about the legality of the origins of the money.
'Looking for way to get at me'
"They are looking for a way to get at me 30 days before the election, but they won't succeed," said Bolsonaro, who is lagging in the polls behind leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead of a first election round on October 2.
Lula's camp has asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation into the latest claims.
Bolsonaro was elected in 2018 on an anti-corruption platform, bolstered by the rejection of the tarnished left after a massive graft scandal involving state oil company Petrobras.
Lula's convictions in relation to that scandal were later overturned.
Source: AFP
Several businessmen are being investigated over messages on WhatsApp that backed a coup should the far-right Jair Bolsonaro lose October vote to rival Lula da Silva, local media say.
Brazilian media suggests the WhatsApp group discussed potential electoral fraud and rewards of a coup if Bolsonaro loses his re-election bid.
(AP)
Police in Brazil have raided the premises of several prominent businessmen who support President Jair Bolsonaro allegedly over exchanging messages that supported a coup in the South American country in the event of Bolsonaro losing the October election. Tuesday's raid came days after leaked messages appeared to show the group supporting a potential coup d'etat if the far-right leader ends up losing his reelection bid.
According to Brazilian media outlet Globo, the searches were ordered by the Minister of the Supreme Federal Court, Alexandre de Moraes, who also serves as president of the Superior Electoral Court.
In total, federal police searched eight premises across five states, with warrants served in Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, Brusque, Balneario Camboriu, Gramado, Garopaba and Sao Paulo.
According to Brazilian news portal Poder360, the individuals are being investigated for exchanging messages on the WhatsApp platform in which they allegedly said a "coup" would be better than a return to power for former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Authorities are seeking to determine whether the businessmen may have come together to "plan and support future attempts to break the democratic rule of law," a crime under the Penal Code that carries a penalty of a four- to eight-year prison sentence, according to Globo.
READ MORE: Lula's lead over Bolsonaro narrows ahead of Brazil election
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rh3dEfjH8I[/embed]
Bolsonaro sons slam raids
Moraes has taken further action, blocking the businessmen's bank accounts and their profiles on social networks, according to Poder360.
Last week, the Brazilian news portal Metropoles reported that the WhatsApp group discussed potential electoral fraud and the rewards of a coup if Bolsonaro ended up losing his re-election bid.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, one of Bolsonaro's sons, condemned the raid as an abuse of power, curtailing freedom of expression.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman and another of Jair Bolsonaro's sons, tweeted, describing the raid as "clearly an operation to intimidate any notorious figure from taking a political stand for Bolsonaro or against the left."
"This is an attack on democracy in the midst of an election campaign. Censorship. There is no other word!" he added.
Jair Bolsonaro is currently campaigning for re-election in October, although most polls suggest he is behind former president da Silva in what experts have labeled Brazil's most polarised elections in decades.
For over a year, Bolsonaro has raised doubts as to whether he will respect the results of the polls and has cast doubt over Brazil's electronic voting system without providing evidence.
The October election will be the first since Bolsonaro took office as fears persist of potential political violence if the results are contested.
READ MORE: Lula, Bolsonaro kick off campaign season to court Brazil voters
Source: AA
