Brazilian court authorizes investigators to review bank records of President’s son

A Brazilian court authorized prosecutors in late April to review the bank and fiscal records of Flavio Bolsonaro -- a senator and President Jair Bolsonaro's son, a local paper reported on Monday.

According to O Globo daily, the younger Bolsonaro is being investigated for corruption, money laundering and siphoning off a large share of his staff's earnings.

The office of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro confirmed that a court in a sealed ruling would allow police to examine the banking records of the lawmaker, along with those of his wife.

Every Brazilian congressman has a budget to pay for staff salaries. Senator Bolsonaro, who until last year served as a federal representative, is believed to have declared high salaries to his staff, but as much as 80 percent of those salaries were reportedly paid back to him.

Federal investigators said in February they had opened the money-laundering investigation in connection to unexplained increases in Flavio Bolsonaro’s net worth, and his purchase of at least two luxury apartments in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil’s Supreme Court in February rejected his appeal to halt the probe that also includes an examination of numerous cash payments made to the account of his former driver Fabricio Queiroz.

Queiroz, now head of the Senator's staff, was reportedly responsible for carrying out the scheme. Investigators found that the amount of money circulating in Queiroz's accounts was vastly superior to his earnings.

It was also revealed by inspectors that he made frequent deposits in the account of Senator Bolsonaro and First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, who was a member of her husband's staff prior to her marriage.

Flavio Bolsonaro denied any wrongdoings and said the investigation seeks to damage his father's administration.

"The truth will prevail, as I have done nothing wrong, and they will not manage to use me to damage the Jair Bolsonaro government," he said.