The Federal Police found messages on the phone of President Jair Bolsonaro's chief aide-de-camp that raised suspicions regarding financial transactions carried out in the President's cabinet.
The presidential office denies any irregularities in the transactions and says that the amounts came from the president's private account.
Federal Police has been analyzing text messages, voice messages, and photos on Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cesar Barbosa Cid's cell phone.
The material, exchanged by Cid with other Government officials, suggests the existence of fractional deposits and withdrawals intended to pay personal bills for the presidential family and people close to the first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro.
The transactions are the subject of a police investigation, currently without accusation or confirmation of suspicions.
The Federal Police is investigating whether public funds are being used, and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court, authorized the breach of Cid's banking secrecy.
"The resources do not originate from the supply of funds [corporate card]. The president has never withdrawn a single penny from his personal corporate card", says the presidential adviser. Cid mentions security as the reason for the actions.
Translated by Cassy Dias