Brazil's Supreme Court on Monday ordered police to seize the passport of Flavio Bolsonaro, the defeated presidential candidate, as he faces a criminal investigation into money laundering. The ruling by Justice Alexandre de Moraes stems from an inquiry into Bolsonaro's links to a lawyer accused of laundering over $1 billion through a vast fraud scheme. The decision also orders Bolsonaro to stay away from the lawyer, Willer Tomaz, a close friend accused of managing company accounts linked to the investigation.
Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing, framing the travel restrictions as political persecution following his election loss. In a separate case, Bolsonaro is under investigation over millions raised from a disgraced banker linked to a corruption scheme funding a biopic about his jailed father, Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup. The Justice has a history of clashing with the Bolsonaro family, having overseen previous trials and convictions related to election interference and coup allegations.
These rulings underscore a cloud of corruption hanging over Brazil's ruling establishment, with the Justice also facing scrutiny over his own alleged ties to the same scandals.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing