Brazil’s Senate Covid CPI sees room to investigate Bolsonaro; assesses written testimony

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Members of the Pandemic Investigative Committee (Covid CPI) – virtually all of whom are members of the opposition – are now in favor of including President Jair Bolsonaro on the list of people under investigation by the committee and, as a first step toward the measure, they are considering requesting Bolsonaro to provide a written deposition to senators.

The legal team assisting CPI’s rapporteur senator Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL), after assessing Federal Supreme Court (STF) precedents, believes that the committee’s only impediment with respect to the president is to summon him to provide in-person clarification. Other measures, including an investigation into Bolsonaro’s actions and omissions in the fight against the pandemic, may be pursued by senators.

In this scenario, the CPI leadership is preparing a course of action so that Bolsonaro will soon be requested to answer a series of questions in writing. Among the senators’ concerns is to ensure that, once the request is issued, it will not be overturned by the Supreme Court.

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