Brasilia [Brazil], March 20: Mr. Bolsonaro has been under investigation since last year on suspicion of falsifying Covid-19 vaccination records while he was in office. During his presidency, he was also criticized for downplaying the severity of the pandemic, AFP reported.
Federal police clearly stated in a report dated March 19 that Mr. Bolsonaro and 16 others conspired to issue " false certificates to gain undue benefits" amid the epidemic. This proposal is being considered by the Brazilian Minister of Justice.
Defense lawyer Fabio Wajngarten wrote on his personal X page on March 19: "Everyone and the whole world knows that former President Jair Messias Bolsonaro, due to personal beliefs, has never used any vaccines. against Covid-19".
However, Fabio Wajngarten said the former president never "knew that any of his advisers had created fake vaccination certificates". According to this lawyer, whoever did so was "acting on their own".
Mr Bolsonaro, who once joked that vaccines could "turn you into a crocodile", previously admitted that he had not been vaccinated.
The 68-year-old politician was questioned and his home searched by police in May 2023. He denied the charges, saying authorities were trying to "fabricate a case" against him.
In January, Brazilian authorities confirmed that Mr. Bolsonaro's Covid-19 vaccination records were fake. However, the case was temporarily frozen due to "lack of sufficient evidence" about who falsified the data.
A recent police investigation showed that a close aide of Mr. Bolsonaro, army colonel Mauro Cid, admitted to injecting fake data into the public health system.
Mr. Cid claimed that he received orders from Mr. Bolsonaro, on behalf of him and his daughter Laura Bolsonaro, to insert false data into medical records.
He said the certificates were printed and he personally delivered them to former President Bolsonaro.
Mr. Cid was arrested in May 2023 for his involvement in this scheme and was released after a plea agreement.
The Brazilian police report also said that a doctor, health official, lawyer, soldier and a number of other subordinates of Mr. Bolsonaro were also involved in this plot.
The former Brazilian President is mired in legal challenges, including an investigation into accusations of plotting a coup to maintain power after he lost the 2022 election, according to Reuters.
He is also being investigated for allegedly keeping gifts from other countries, including jewelry from Saudi Arabia. He is banned from holding public office until 2030 because of allegations of attacks on the electoral system.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
