Brazil: Police Allege Bolsonaro of Fraud Over Covid Vaccine Records

The Brazilian authorities have officially leveled accusations of fraud against former President Jair Bolsonaro concerning his Covid vaccination records, potentially leading to criminal charges in the Supreme Court.

Despite his health records indicating receipt of the vaccine in Sao Paulo in 2021, investigations revealed his absence from the city at the time.

Bolsonaro, a vocal skeptic of COVID, previously declared his refusal to be vaccinated and denied any involvement in tampering with records.

With Brazil’s COVID death toll surpassing 700,000, federal police have implicated Bolsonaro and eight others in a scheme to procure fraudulent vaccination certificates for personal gain during the pandemic.

Given that vaccination was a prerequisite for entry into several countries, including the US, Brazil’s attorney general’s office will determine whether to prosecute the former president.

Facing mounting legal challenges, Bolsonaro, who had his passport seized last month in connection with alleged attempts to subvert the 2022 election results and coerce military officials into a coup, continues to contend his innocence.

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Following his defeat to Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva in the presidential election, Bolsonaro’s supporters rioted in Brasília, vandalizing government buildings, including the presidential palace, Supreme Court, and Congress.

Bolsonaro, banned from seeking office for eight years due to undermining Brazil’s electoral system and baseless claims of election fraud, remained in the US during the congressional attack, returning to Brazil in March 2023, asserting his lack of apprehension.

(BBC)