Brazilian police on Friday raided the addresses of a lawyer to former President Jair Bolsonaro and the family of his jailed personal aide to investigate the alleged sale of jewelry and other presents from Arab governments.

The search warrant issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes followed police allegations that Bolsonaro's aides used government resources for their personal advantage.

A Federal Police statement said those under investigation "are suspected of using the structure of the state to divert high-value assets delivered by foreign authorities to Brazilian representatives on official visits, through the sale of these items abroad."

The decision by Moraes, seen by Reuters, said proceeds of the sales were delivered in cash to Bolsonaro via intermediaries.

Moraes authorized the police to search the homes or offices of lawyer Frederick Wassef and Mauro Cesar Cid, the father of Bolsonaro's former aide-de-camp Lieutenant colonel Mauro Cid, to seize computers, tablets, cameras and data storage media.

Wassef did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. A representative for Mauro Cesar Cid could not be reached for comment.

The decision by Moraes cites messages obtained by the police in which Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro's former aide, deals with the sale of statues, a palm tree and a gold-plated boat received as gifts during an official visit to Bahrain.

(Cover: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks to members of the media after arriving at Brasilia-President Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport in Brasilia, Brazil, June 30, 2023. /CFP)