Brazil: Ex-president Jair Bolsonaro’s residence searched by police probing ‘pretend COVID vaccine playing cards’

The residence of Brazil’s ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has been searched by police investigating COVID-19 vaccine playing cards allegedly being falsified.

The playing cards of Mr Bolsonaro, his members of the family and his advisers had been modified, in line with native media studies.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the country‘s former far-right president was a vocal coronavirus vaccine sceptic who doubted the efficacy of the jab and refused to get inoculated.

But well being data made public in February this 12 months advised he was registered as vaccinated.

A federal police official mentioned Mr Bolsonaro, 68, shall be questioned and confirmed that considered one of his closest allies, Mauro Cid, was arrested.

The Federal Police’s press workplace mentioned officers carried out 16 searches and arrested six individuals in Rio de Janeiro. The assertion didn’t identify Mr Bolsonaro or Mr Cid.

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Mr Bolsonaro confirmed to journalists {that a} raid passed off at his Brasilia residence and reiterated he had by no means acquired a COVID vaccine. He additionally denied any function in allegedly forging paperwork.

“For my part, there was nothing falsified. I didn’t take the vaccine. Period,” he mentioned, including his cellphone was seized.

Officers mentioned they have been investigating “false data” that was allegedly added to a nationwide COVID-19 database between November 2021 and December 2022, when he was president.

A police assertion mentioned the alleged insertion of pretend information enabled these whose vaccine playing cards have been altered to adjust to the US vaccine requirement to enter the nation.

After dropping to Lula da Silva in October’s presidential election and leaving workplace on the finish of final 12 months, Mr Bolsonaro lately returned to Brazil following a number of months within the US, the place he largely saved a low profile aside from some talking engagements.

He can also be facing several other investigations – together with over his alleged function in encouraging protests that ended along with his supporters storming a number of authorities buildings.

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As president, Mr Bolsonaro insisted the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine was a remedy for COVID, regardless of a scarcity of sturdy medical proof.

Brazil’s variety of deaths throughout the pandemic was the second highest on this planet.

A congressional investigation discovered he needs to be indicted for bungling the nation’s COVID response, together with him pushing unproven therapies.