Brazil ex-president Jair Bolsonaro indicted for suspected fraud on vaccine records

Former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro was indicted on Tuesday (Mar 19) by federal police for suspected fraud on his vaccination records, the news agency Reuters reported citing two sources related to the matter. 

The country's comptroller general's office had conducted an investigation which has already shown that Bolsonaro's vaccination records were false. 

Mauro Cid, one of Bolsonaro's former aides, was also indicted. Cid was arrested in May last year as part of the investigation. 

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The news agency said that the sources further told that Bolsonaro was indicted on charges of entering false data into the country's Unified Health System (SUS) and forming a criminal organisation. 

Reuters said that when it contacted Bolsonaro, he reiterated that he had not taken the COVID-19 vaccine and said he was calm. 

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"It's a selective investigation. I'm calm, I don't owe anything. The world knows that I didn't take the vaccine," said Bolsonaro. 

When he was president, Bolsonaro frequently dismissed the need for immunisation and social distancing measures during the pandemic, which killed over 700,000 people in Brazil. 

(With inputs from agencies)