Brazil News: Jair Bolsonaro's Son's Finances To Be Opened As Part Of Money Laundering Probe

A Rio de Janeiro court on Monday granted authorities the right to review 12 years of bank records belonging to Flavio Bolsonario, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's son, as part of a money laundering investigation, O Globo reported.

Flavio Bolsonaro is implicated in a corruption scandal which began after the Brazilian Council for Financial Activities Control (COAF) found 48 suspicious deposits with a total value of 100,000 Brazilian Reais ($27,000) that were deposited into his account in a single month in 2017. These financial transactions, along with his purchase of two luxurious Rio de Janeiro apartments, raised suspicions among federal investigators that the president's son had been engaged in some form of financial misconduct.

Flavio Bolsonaro's finances will not only be reviewed but also that of his wife, their chocolate company and his personal driver, the Rio de Janeiro court confirmed to Reuters.

Flavio Bolsonaro believes the investigation is an attempt to taint his father's image.

"The truth will prevail because I did nothing wrong and they will not use me to attack the government of Jair Bolsonaro," he wrote in response to the court's decision.

Jair Bolsonaro won the Brazilian presidential election last year with a promise to crack down on corruption in South America's largest country.

Flavio Bolsonaro's driver, Fabricio Queiroz, a former police offer with links to Rio's paramilitary militias, is also implicated in the scandal after the Council found 7 million Reais ($1.75 million) in suspicious financial transactions linked to his account.

In February, an appeal was made to Brazil's Supreme Court to halt the investigation but it was rejected.