Bolsonaro testified in a trial for forging vaccination cards

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro spoke to police for several hours as part of an investigation into the alleged falsification of Covid vaccination certificates for him and his entourage.

Bolsonaro, whose house was searched as part of the same investigation earlier this month, arrived at Brazil’s federal police headquarters around 1:40 p.m. local time in a car with tinted windows and left four hours later without speaking with the press, reported AFP.

In his “roughly three-hour” statement to police, the far-right, vaccine-skeptic former president denied involvement in the alleged plot, Bolsonaro adviser Fabio Weingarten said on Twitter. According to him, Bolsonaro “has answered all the questions” and “reiterated that he has never been vaccinated, that he is not aware of any initiatives to possibly forge or falsify his vaccination card, as well as that of his daughter.”

Federal police say they have uncovered a scheme in which a top Bolsonaro aide, Army Col. Mauro Cid, allegedly used a network of contacts in the health system and government to obtain false vaccination certificates for Bolsonaro, the president’s daughter, for himself, his wife and daughters, and two other presidential aides.

Police said there was evidence that Bolsonaro was “fully aware” of false entries in the health ministry’s electronic vaccination system, which they said were intended to allow his anti-vaccine entourage to avoid requirements for international travel and other pandemic-related restrictions.