Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been charged on suspicion of falsifying vaccine records during his term, according to reports CNN Brazil.
According to police, Bolsonaro apparently ordered a close associate to place false vaccination data in the Health Ministry database that belonged to him and his daughter.
Along with Bolsonaro, former lieutenant colonel Mauro Cid and 15 other people are named in the accusation for their alleged participation in the plan.
After the podcast, Bolsonaro's lawyer, Fabio Wajngarten, explained that, to the best of his knowledge, Bolsonaro's position on vaccination is “absurd.”
Last year, Brazilian authorities launched an investigation into allegations of falsifying vaccination records at the president's residence in Brasilia. The president denied having participated in any crime.
The Brazilian Prosecutor's Office will consider whether a process should be initiated against Bolsonaro. Thus, Bolsonaro was harshly criticized in the country and abroad for his attitude towards the pandemic, which was also related to disbelief in the implementation of vaccines.
His presidency was not without scandals, one of which is not allowing members of the UN Assembly to be vaccinated and facing accusations of inciting violence after the 2022 elections.
The accusation, along with additional investigations into the alleged coup attempt to maintain his power and electoral crimes during the 2022 elections, will add to Bolsonaro's legal problems.
After his electoral defeat, Bolsonaro was suspended from participating in elections until 2030, following judicial rulings by the electoral court.
