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