According to CNN Brasil, Bolsonaro is accused of falsifying Covid-19 vaccination data while he was in office. The police claim that the far-right leader ordered one of his closest aides to enter false vaccination data into the Ministry of Health's system, not only for himself but also for his daughter.

The investigation reveals evidence suggesting that Bolsonaro willingly instructed the manipulation of the country's health system. Alongside the ex-president, Lieutenant-Colonel Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro's trusted aide, and 15 others have also been indicted for their alleged involvement in the scheme.

Bolsonaro's lawyer, Fabio Wajngarten, has denounced the indictment as "absurd." Wajngarten points out that Bolsonaro's public stance on vaccination is well known, and during his presidency, he was exempted from presenting any vaccination certificate on his trips.

Last May, Brazilian Police conducted a search and seizure operation at Bolsonaro's residence in Brasilia in connection with the suspected falsification of vaccination data. Bolsonaro denied being vaccinated against Covid-19 and insisted that his vaccination card had not been tampered with.

The Brazilian Prosecutor's Office will now have to decide whether to proceed with the indictment, which adds to the mounting legal challenges faced by Bolsonaro. Notably, he is also being investigated for an alleged attempted coup plot aimed at retaining his grip on power following his loss in the 2022 presidential election. Several former ministers from Bolsonaro's government are currently under investigation, and some of his aides have been arrested.

Furthermore, in January 2023, Bolsonaro's supporters rioted and broke into government buildings in Brasilia after he lost the election to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by a narrow margin. Bolsonaro has denied accusations of inciting the violent attacks in the capital.

This recent indictment comes on the heels of Bolsonaro's prior disqualification from running for political office until 2030. The country's highest electoral court barred him due to accusations of power abuse and misuse of public media during the 2022 election campaign.

As the legal battles against Bolsonaro intensify, Brazil continues to grapple with the ongoing effects of the severe Covid-19 outbreak, which was exacerbated by the ex-president downplaying the virus's severity and discouraging vaccination.