An inquiry into Jair Bolsonaro's Covid immunisation records led police to raid his residence in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil.

 

Police believe the former leader's vaccination record was faked in order for him to enter the US.

As part of the operation, police detained several of the former president's close associates and seized both their mobile phones as well as the phone used by his wife.

Bolsonaro has refuted all accusations of impropriety.

The former president has been outspoken in criticizing covid vaccines for spreading erroneous information about the shot and its purported negative effects.

Even though he had always declared that he would not receive the vaccine, he had insisted on keeping his immunisation history confidential, claiming that it held critical personal information.

However, a representative of his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,'s new administration determined that the information was in the public interest.

According to the document, Mr. Bolsonaro received a vaccination in 2021, but authorities suspect the record may have been falsified and they started the inquiry that led to Wednesday's raid.

Federal police claim that "false data" was added to the Covid-19 immunisation records kept by the Brazilian ministry of health in order to enable those whose vaccination status had changed to get the vaccination certificates required to enter the State.

Mr. Bolsonaro denied tampering with any data in a statement following the search. "For my part, there was nothing falsified," he told the press.

Additionally, he said, "I didn't take the vaccine. Period."

When Mr. Bolsonaro was still president in November and December of last year, it is claimed that false information was added to the records.

At the end of December, just days before his rival, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, took the oath of office, Mr. Bolsonaro travelled to Florida.

The US has not made any comments on the visa the former president used to enter the country or whether or not he presented any vaccination records at the time.

Mr. Bolsonaro has had to go before the police twice since his return to Brazil on March 30.