Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, along with Cid and 15 others, have been indicted by the Federal Police for their involvement in a vaccine card fraud scheme. The investigation revealed that a group associated with the ex-president manipulated Covid vaccination data in the Ministry of Health system for personal gain.
Former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and 16 others faced formal charges on Monday (18) by the Federal Police as part of the probe into the alleged vaccine forgery scheme. This development signals that the case has now been passed to the Attorney General’s Office, which will decide whether to press charges or close the investigation (see details below).
The indictment was disclosed by Daniela Lima’s blog on g1, with related documents remaining confidential.
Among those indicted are:
- Jair Messias Bolsonaro, former president of the Republic;
- Mauro Barbosa Cid, Army colonel and former aide-de-camp to the President of the Republic;
- Gabriela Santiago Cid, Mauro Cid’s wife;
- Gutemberg Reis de Oliveira, federal deputy (MDB-RJ);
- Luis Marcos dos Reis, Army sergeant who served on Mauro Cid’s team;
- Farley Vinicius Alcântara, a doctor accused of issuing a fake vaccine card for Cid’s family;
- Eduardo Crespo Alves, military officer;
- Paulo Sérgio da Costa Ferreira;
- Ailton Gonçalves Barros, former Army major;
- Marcelo Fernandes Holanda;
- Camila Paulino Alves Soares, nurse from the Duque de Caxias city hall;
- João Carlos de Sousa Brecha, former Secretary of Government of Duque de Caxias;
- Marcelo Costa Câmara, special advisor to Bolsonaro;
- Max Guilherme Machado de Moura, advisor and security personnel of Bolsonaro;
- Sergio Rocha Cordeiro, advisor and security personnel of Bolsonaro;
- Cláudia Helena Acosta Rodrigues da Silva, an employee of Duque de Caxias;
- Célia Serrano da Silva.
The indictment stems from an operation authorized by Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes in May 2023, within the digital militias inquiry.
According to investigations, individuals associated with Bolsonaro manipulated Covid-19 vaccination records in the ConecteSUS system for personal gain. Subsequently, this false information was removed from the system.
The Federal Police identified that this manipulation occurred shortly before Bolsonaro’s trip to the United States in December 2022, during his last month in office as president. At that time, the US required proof of vaccination for foreign travelers.
The inquiry revealed that vaccination data for at least seven individuals were falsified, including Bolsonaro himself, his daughter, and Mauro Cid’s family. . Eduardo Kuntz, the lawyer representing Marcelo Câmara and Sérgio Rocha Cordeiro, expressed his expectation to gain access to the case files and Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid’s testimony. During the 2023 operation, Bolsonaro stated in interviews that he had not received the Covid vaccine and denied any tampering with his or his daughter’s health records.
Indictment signifies that the Federal Police believes there is sufficient evidence to hold an individual accountable for a crime. The case will now be reviewed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, with the indictment being transferred to the Attorney General’s Office since the inquiry is under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Prosecutors will evaluate the evidence collected by the police and decide whether to pursue charges.
