Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes recently dismissed an investigation into whether former President Jair Bolsonaro forged vaccine records. This decision followed Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet's conclusion that the evidence stemming from a plea bargain with a former aide was insufficient to support charges of fraud against Bolsonaro.
The ruling came shortly after a Supreme Court panel addressed another case involving Bolsonaro, where he is accused of conspiring to overthrow the government after his defeat in the 2022 election. Bolsonaro's legal team did not respond to requests for comment.
In his decision, Moraes echoed Gonet's position, stating that Brazilian law prohibits charges from being based solely on plea bargains. He specified that criminal charges must be backed by "autonomous and independent evidence, in addition to information arising from plea-bargain deals duly ratified by other evidence."
Last year, Federal Police accused Bolsonaro of fraud concerning his vaccination records, alleging that his former aide, Mauro Cid, had unlawfully obtained COVID-19 vaccination certificates for Bolsonaro and his daughter, Laura, at the former president's request.