Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) on October 26 ordered Senator Flavio Bolsonaro to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports within 24 hours and barred him from leaving the country. The decision is linked to an investigation into money laundering and tax evasion involving betting companies.
The order, requested by the Federal Police of Brazil, was carried out the same day, and the senator was served with the writ. Besides the travel ban, the judge prohibited him from contacting lawyer Wheeler Thomaz, who is also involved in the same case. Bolsonaro, the Liberal Party candidate, lost the presidential election to Lula, which took place last weekend.
According to investigators, the senator and Thomaz were master users of the same account at Santander bank. Both deny this, but police found a message from the lawyer asking for Bolsonaro to be removed from access to the account. Thomaz, according to case materials, is the sole owner of Rede Loto, which controls the bookmaker BestBet and two other licensed brands in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
The Federal Police also suspect Bolsonaro of financial crimes linked to financing a film about his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Reports that the senator has already left Brazil have not been officially confirmed. Neither the court, the police, nor the US State Department made such statements. While Bolsonaro remains a senator, the case stays under STF jurisdiction.
