1. Renan Calheiros says CPI will indict Jair Bolsonaro

Senator Renan Calheiros – rapporteur of the COVID Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) – said President Jair Bolsonaro will “surely” be indicted by the CPI. “Surely he’ll be indicted. He (Jair Bolsonaro) will for sure be indicted for what he’s done,” said Calheiros. According to him, the President is directly connected to the chaotic response to the pandemic. Calheiros also said that – alongside Bolsonaro – ministers, members of the cabinet, and private companies that were part of the “misappropriation of public funds” will also be indicted.

The list of people currently under investigation includes 32 individuals. The final CPI report will be presented on October 19 following a ceremony in Congress paying homage to the nearly 600,000 people who have died of COVID.

Correiro Braziliense: Bolsonaro será ‘com certeza’ indiciado pela CPI
CNN: Renan Calheiros diz que com certeza’ Bolsonaro será indiciado pela CPI
G1: Calheiros diz que relatório da CPI pedirá indiciamento de Bolsonaro ‘com certeza’

2. Bolsonaro says he will speak in person to the Federal Police about Sergio Moro’s accusations before being summoned by the Federal Supreme Court

In an unexpected change in position, President Jair Bolsonaro sent a letter to the Federal Supreme Court saying that he wants to be heard in person regarding accusations that he interfered with the Federal Police. The investigation against Bolsonaro began in April 2020, following accusations made by then Minister of Justice and Public Security Sergio Moro.

Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is responsible for the case, said Bolsonaro reached out to the Attorney General’s Office to express his interest in speaking with the Federal Police. Moraes decided to cancel discussions on what format the President’s deposition would take.

In the request sent by the Attorney General’s Office to the Supreme Court, Bolsonaro asked to arrange the date, location, and time of his deposition in advance, “a prerogative that will allow him to complete his work as the Head of State as well as his right to defend himself by speaking in person,” said the letter.

O Globo: Bolsonaro se antecipa ao STF e diz que aceita depor presencialmente à PF sobre denúncia de Moro
Estadão: Bolsonaro se antecipa ao STF e diz que vai depor presencialmente no inquérito sobre interferências na PF
FSP: Bolsonaro pede para prestar depoimento presencial à PF, e STF suspende julgamento

3. COVID CPI reveals irregularities in contract with VTCLog and interviews ANS director about Prevent Senior

This week, the COVID CPI heard from Raimundo Nonato da Silva, a partner at VTCLog. The company is accused of signing contracts with the Ministry of Health without going through a public bidding process. On Wednesday, the CPI also interviewed the president of the National Regulatory Agency for Private Health Insurance and Plans (ANS), Paulo Roberto Vanderlei Rebello Filho. Rebello was questioned about possible negligence while investigating the accusations against Prevent Senior.

Rebello said ANS opened an investigation into Prevent Senior but that accusations concerning the use of hydroxychloroquine were not the agency’s responsibility. He also said they received 38 complaints about the use of COVID kits, but that these were sent to the Federal Medicine Council (CFM).

Renan Calheiros, rapporteur of the CPI, revealed a list of eight contracts that were signed between VTCLog and the Ministry of Health in 2017 and 2018 without going through a public bidding process, even though they amounted to more than R$ 335 million. At the time, the Ministry of Health was run by Ricardo Barros, who is now the leader of the Chamber of Deputies. In his deposition, Raimundo Nonato da Silva said contracts were signed due to emergency situations and that the company was small and not very modern (which explained the high prices). He also shared a comparison of prices charged by other companies.

FSP: CPI aponta irregularidades em contrato da VTCLog e sócio culpa alta demanda e falta de modernização
FSP: CPI ouve diretor da ANS sobre caso Prevent Senior
G1: CPI ouve diretor da ANS sobre caso Prevent
O Globo: VTCLog faturou R$ 335 milhões do Ministério da Saúde, sem licitação, em dois anos  

4. Chamber of Deputies approves summoning Paulo Guedes to explain offshore company

The Labor, Administration and Public Service Committee in the Chamber of Deputies decided to summon Economy Minister Paulo Guedes to explain his financial transactions abroad made through an offshore company. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists revealed over the weekend that Guedes and Central Bank president Roberto Campos Neto owned offshore companies that benefited from fiscal policies created by the two men.

On the day after he was summoned, Paulo Guedes sent documents to the Public Prosecutor’s office stating that he is not an administrator of the offshore company located in the British Virgin Islands. According to the documents he presented, Guedes has not been a member of the company’s board of directors since December 2018, a month before he became economy minister.

Guedes and Campos Neto will also have to explain themselves to the Senate and General Prosecutor’s Office.

FSP: Guedes apresenta à PGR para se defender sobre offshore
CNN: Comissão da Câmara convoca Guedes para explicar offshore
Isto é Dinheiro: Comissão da Câmara convoca Guedes para explicar offshore; Campos Neto é convidado por CAE do Senado

5. São Paulo surpasses Europe and the US with 60% of its population fully vaccinated against COVID

The state of São Paulo has vaccinated 60% of its population against COVID-19, surpassing the percentage of people vaccinated in the United States and Europe. Almost 99% of people over 18 years of age received at least the first dose of the vaccine, according to State Governor João Doria: “According to Oxford University’s Our World in Data—which measures vaccination rates all over the world—the 60% rate that São Paulo reached this week surpasses the rate of people vaccinated in the US (55%) and Europe (52%).”

So far, 65 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the state—36.8 million of the first dose and 26.2 million of the second dose. Slightly over 1 million people received a single dose and 734,000 people received a booster shot.

As vaccination rates increase, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro—which also has a high rate of vaccination—are considering easing face mask rules. Mayors of both cities are planning to make face masks optional in open spaces later this month.

Valor Econômico: SP e Rio avaliam tornar máscara opcional em espaços abertos
FSP: SP supera EUA e Europa com 60% da população totalmente vacinada contra Covid
FSP: SP e Rio avaliam tornar máscara opcional em espaços abertos