Brazil’s Bolsonaro under fire after vaccine deal allegations

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Accusations that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro turned a blind eye to possible corruption in a deal to purchase coronavirus vaccines have heightened threats to his presidency, including a move to recommend slapping him with a criminal charge.

The claims have added impetus to the opposition's impeachment drive and left the Brazilian leader's allies in Congress evaluating the costs of their support.

Bolsonaro, who has been targeted by nationwide street protests in recent weeks, has called the Senate committee investigating the government's COVID-19 response a “national shame” aimed at undermining his administration.

For two months, the nationally televised hearings have largely focused on why his Health Ministry ignored opportunities to buy vaccines while Bolsonaro relentlessly pushed hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug that rigorous studies have shown to be ineffective in treating COVID-19.

Testimony before the Senate committee last week from Luis Ricardo Miranda, the chief of the Health Ministry's import division, and his brother Luis Miranda, a lawmaker until recently allied with Bolsonaro, has turned up the heat even more.

The Health Ministry official said he faced pressure to greenlight the import of Indian pharmaceutical Bharat Biotech's Covaxin vaccine and that there were irregularities in the invoices — particularly a $45 million upfront payment to a Singapore-based company.

In March, the brothers brought their concerns to Bolsonaro, who they said promised to send the case to the Federal Police and mentioned the government's leader in Congress's lower house, a top Bolsonaro ally, as being involved.

However, the Federal Police never received any request to investigate, neither from Bolsonaro nor his Health Ministry, according to a Federal Police source with knowledge of investigations who wasn't authorised to speak publicly and declined to be named.

Seven of the 11 members of the Senate committee investigating Bolsonaro's COVID-19 response told The Associated Press that, once their inquest concludes, in August at earliest, they will vote to approve recommending Bolsonaro be indicted on the charge of prevarication.

The crime entails delaying or refraining from action required as part of a public official's duty for reasons of personal interest.

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