Bolsonaro linked to alleged corruption in buying of Bharat Bio's vaccine

Brazil senate probing the president's handling of the pandemic; country signed a contract with the Indian firm to purchase 20 million doses for $325 million.

A government-allied lawmaker dragged President Jair Bolsonaro to the center of a scandal of alleged irregularities in the purchase of a Covid-19 vaccine for Brazil’s immunization campaign.

Lower house representative Luis Miranda, speaking late Friday at a congressional committee probing Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic, said he personally warned the president about pressures for the purchase of Covaxin vaccine.

During the conversation, as described by Miranda, Bolsonaro blamed his leader in the lower house, Ricardo Barros, for meddling in the Health Ministry, but didn’t stop the purchase of the shots.

The senate probe into Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic is investigating alleged irregularities in negotiations for the Covaxin shot from Bharat Biotech International Ltd. The Health Ministry signed a contract to purchase 20 million doses for 1.6 billion reais ($325 million).

Luis Ricardo Miranda, brother of the lawmaker and an official of the Health Ministry, told the senators that in the analysis of the documents involving the purchase of the vaccine, information was found that didn’t match the original text of Bharat Biotech’s contract with the Ministry. He mentioned that some differences would be in the form of payment, the amount of doses and the indication of intermediary companies.

This is the first time that senators investigating the government’s response to the pandemic have started probing corruption allegations involving Bolsonaro. Up until now they were more focused on delays in vaccine purchases and the government’s touting of unproven Covid treatments.

The government press office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment outside business hours. Barros said on his Twitter account that he hasn’t participated in any negotiations regarding the purchase of Covaxin vaccines and that the investigation will prove this.

On June 24, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said he wasn’t concerned about the Covaxin vaccine issue and is focused on advancing the immunization program.