Former revenue chief says request for jewel release ‘was still under review’

Julio Cesar Vieira Gomes, former secretary of the Federal Revenue, said in a statement that his intention was for the jewels to be sent to the country’s ‘historical record’

BRASÍLIA – Former Secretary of the Revenue Agency, Julio Cesar Vieira Gomes, said that when he called an emissary of President Jair Bolsonaro, who was at Guarulhos airport on December 29, asking for the release of the jewels seized by the Agency of the Revenue, its objective was not to authorize the release of the objects, but to inform the military on the situation of the seized assets.

“Regarding the telephone conversation you had on December 29, I only communicated to the designated public official that the incorporation of the items was still under analysis and, therefore, would not take place on that date,” said Julio Cesar, through a note.

The last request he sent to the customs auditors of Guarulhos, in São Paulo, in the last week of 2022, according to Julio Cesar, would have the objective of sending the seized jewels to the country’s “historical documentation”, and not to then-President Jair Bolsonaro.

In a statement, he stated that “the goal was not to release them to anyone, but to be donated by the Federal Revenue Agency to incorporate the elements into the historical documentation, an organ of the Presidency of the Republic”.

In his reply, the former head of the Revenue, close to Bolsonaro and his sons, stated that, after an internal discussion on the matter, it was concluded that the delivery of the jewels to the Presidency would depend on a request from the Special Secretariat for the ‘Administration, instead of a request made by the government aide. “After studies and in-depth discussions on the subject, it was concluded that incorporation into a body of the Presidency of the Republic would be the responsibility of the Special Secretariat for Administration or a higher body,” he said.

The arrival of Julio Cesar took place after a troubled exchange with the head of the Revenue Agency. Thirty-seven days after members of the Bolsonaro government attempted to enter the country illegally with a set of jewelry presented by the Saudi regime to then First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, without declaring it at customs, then federal revenue minister, José Tostes, lost his Work.

Before the fall of Tostes there had already been four attempts to try to enter the country with the jewels. The first act was the decision of the entourage of the then Minister of Mines and Energy (MME) Bento Albuquerque to enter with the jewels without declaring them. Afterwards, Albuquerque himself returned to the restricted area and tried to take the packages, claiming they were gifts for Michelle Bolsonaro. The third act was the sending of a letter from the MME to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), on November 3 of that year, with a request for help. The MRE, in turn, requested information to find out what steps to take to free the jewels.

In place of Tostes, Bolsonaro put career tax auditor Julio Cesar Vieira Gomes, appointed five days later as head of the Revenue Agency. Gomes was close to the Bolsonaro family. The appointment decree signed by Bolsonaro would have been published on December 7, 2021. The choice, however, was already known.

The fact is that Julio Cesar would make several unsuccessful attempts to free the jewels. On December 30, 2022, one day before the end of Bolsonaro’s mandate, he was nominated by the president to take up a post at the Brazilian embassy in Paris, but Finance Minister Fernando Haddad rescinded the appointment at the start of the government Lula.

“Also on December 30, I communicated the decision to the authority that signed the letter [tenente-coronel Cid], before my appointment as employee. In this way the formal act for the destination of the goods -ADM- hasn’t even begun”, said Julio Cesar, who also said he was honored by the behavior of the Revenue inspectors. “I renew my congratulations to the airport team of Guarulhos, duly expressed at the time,” he said.

Source: Terra

Rose

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