Bolsonaro’s denialism instigated the PF on fraud – 05/04/2023 – Power

The Federal Police cites private conversations by Jair Bolsonaro’s (PL) assistants with speeches contrary to the Covid vaccine, in addition to speeches by the former President of the Republic himself, to reinforce the thesis of a fraud scheme in immunization vouchers.

In a representation delivered to Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF (Federal Supreme Court), the PF states that the anti-vaccination stance is an element to link the investigation on the insertion of data in the Ministry of Health system to the inquiry of the so-called digital militias.

The PGR (Attorney General’s Office) cites Bolsonaro’s position as an element to reduce suspicions of the former president’s participation in the case.

The police investigation cites a message sent in May 2021 by Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s former assistant, to a family member, claiming not to take the vaccine.

“I’m not going to take it….. nor the children….. The vaccines are still in the testing phase… I’m out…..”, said the military in the conversation.

In the document in which it asks for judicial authorization to carry out search and seizure actions, the PF states that the alleged fraud scheme in vaccination certificates was intended to allow people close to Bolsonaro to circumvent health restrictions.

In addition, the targets of the operation sought to “keep the group’s identity cohesive in relation to its ideological guidelines, in this case, to support the speech aimed at attacks on vaccination against Covid-19”, according to the PF.

“In this way, the refusal to bear the burden of opposing vaccination, associated with the need to keep the professed ideology healthy in the eyes of its followers (not taking a vaccine against Covid-19), motivated the series of criminal conducts perpetrated”, he says. the representation.

Police officers still cite Bolsonaro’s statements, such as those denying the immunization of his youngest daughter, Laura, as an element to reinforce suspicions of fraud in health data.

“As is well known”, Bolsonaro “has positioned himself against the vaccination of children and adolescents”, says the PF. “Journalistic publications exposed statements by the former President of the Republic stating categorically that he would not vaccinate his 11-year-old daughter”, says the representation.

The PF also shows publications by Max Guilherme, one of the former president’s closest advisors, on social networks with a denialist speech, to support the request to Moraes.

In an October 2021 publication, Bolsonaro’s advisor referred to Eduardo Suplicy (PT), councilor in São Paulo, as “Otário-Mor da Oxiuruslândia”, when mentioning, at the time, the petista’s Covid infection.

“He contracted Covid after the third dose and always wears 3 masks. This one has always defended the ‘Vaccination passport’ as a social control. GO SEE IT”, wrote Max, in the publication highlighted by the agents.

For the PGR, however, the former president’s consent to the insertion of vaccination data would be contradictory, as this measure could hinder Bolsonaro in an election year.

In a demonstration against carrying out a search and seizure at the home of the former president and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, the Deputy Attorney General of the Republic, Lindôra Araújo, claims that the former president’s position against the vaccination.

“Part of the ordinary conception of the world with which, agreeing or not, he conquered his electorate”, says Lindôra.

In the same piece, the deputy attorney general says that “it would cause irreparable political harm [a descoberta de uma suposta fraude no cartão de vacinação]precisely in the year in which he would run for a new term as President of the Republic”.

For the PGR, Mauro Cid “would have masterminded and led the entire criminal action” without the ex-president’s knowledge.

With the approval of Moraes, who disagreed with the recommendation of the PGR, the PF carried out the search and seizure on Wednesday (3) at Bolsonaro’s house, in addition to arresting some of his closest advisors, such as Cid, Max Guilherme and Sérgio Cordeiro, part of the group of eight assistants that the former president is entitled to after leaving office.

Upon accepting the PF’s request, the magistrate said that “in the face of the above and the notorious” position against Bolsonaro’s vaccination, “the investigative line on the possibility that the former president of the Republic, in a veiled way, is plausible, logical and robust and by inserting false data into the SUS systems, seeking for themselves and third parties any advantages arising from effective immunization”.

“Especially considering the fact of not having been re-elected in the 2022 General Elections”, Moraes further states in his decision.

According to the PF, the information collected shows how Bolsonaro teamed up with the secretary of government of Duque de Caxias (RJ), João Brecha, and advisors Mauro Cid and Marcelo Câmara to insert false vaccination data against Covid-19 into the system.

Bolsonaro said, on Wednesday morning (3), that he had not taken the vaccine against Covid-19, as well as his daughter, and declared that he had no relation to any tampering with health data.

“I didn’t take the vaccine. I was never asked for a vaccine card [para entrar nos EUA]. There is no tampering on my part. I didn’t get the vaccine, period. I never denied it. There were people who pressured me to take it, naturally. But I didn’t take it, because I read the Pfizer leaflet”, said the former chief executive.