Brazilian police charge ex-President Bolsonaro's youngest son with alleged fraud

SAO PAULO — Brazilian police said Thursday they have charged the youngest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro with alleged fraud, adding to the legal pressure on the family of the far-right leader who is himself facing several investigations.

Police in Brazil's Federal District region, which includes the capital city of Brasilia, said in a statement that Jair Renan Bolsonaro and a friend of his are suspects of fraudulent misrepresentation, use of false documents and money laundering in connection with a bank loan request.

Police declined to give further details, because the investigation remains sealed until local prosecutors decide whether they will move on with the probe or not.

Last year, Brazilian media reported Jair Renan and a friend were under investigation for allegedly inflating revenues of one of his companies so they could get a bank loan.

Jair Renan has denied any wrongdoing since police seized some of his documents and electronic devices in August 2023.

Brazilian police earlier this month searched the homes and offices of top aides of the former president and seized his passport as part of an investigation alleging they plotted a coup to remove his successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, one week after his inauguration on Jan. 8, 2023.

Court documents show that the alleged plot involved having Bolsonaro sign a decree in the event that he lost the 2022 election to declare that the vote was fraudulent, to justify a possible military intervention and convene new elections. Bolsonaro never issued the decree to set the final stage of the alleged plan.

Rio de Janeiro City councillor Carlos Bolsonaro, congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro — all sons of the former president — are also under investigation in different cases.

The former president, who is barred from running for office again until 2030 after an electoral court ruling against him, has called on supporters to demonstrate in his favor on Feb. 25 in one of Sao Paulo's key arteries.

_