Police in Brazil searched ex-president Jair Bolsonaro’s home and seized his cell phone yesterday in an investigation into allegations of falsifying Covid-19 vaccination records, an allegation the far-right vaccine sceptic denied.
Bolsonaro, who faced widespread criticism as president for his unorthodox handling of the pandemic, denied faking a Covid-19 vaccination certificate for himself, accusing the authorities of trying to “fabricate” a case against him.
“There was no falsification on my part. None,” he told journalists clustered in the garage of his home in Brasilia after the early-morning raid.
“I haven’t been vaccinated, period,” he said.
“I’m surprised... by the search and seizure operation in an ex-president’s home, trying to fabricate a case.”
Bolsonaro, 68, said police had also seized his cell phone and inspected his family’s vaccination records.
The ex-army captain, who led Brazil from 2019-2022, defied expert advice on managing Covid-19, which has claimed more than 700,000 lives in Brazil.
During his presidency, Bolsonaro touted the medication hydroxychloroquine against the disease, despite studies finding it ineffective, and joked the vaccine could “turn you into an alligator.”
Federal police confirmed they were investigating “the insertion of falsified Covid-19 vaccination data” into the health ministry’s electronic vaccination records system, but did not mention Bolsonaro by name.
“The falsified entries, which occurred between November 2021 and December 2022, resulted in the alteration of the true Covid-19 vaccination status of the individuals in question,” police said in a statement.
“As a result, the individuals were able to emit vaccination certificates and use them to evade health restrictions put in place by authorities in Brazil and the United States.”