In a setback for Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro, the country's Supreme Court has authorised a criminal investigation against him over allegations of graft in a now-suspended deal with Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech to purchase Covaxin jabs.
On June 25, Luis Ricardo Miranda, the chief of Brazilian health ministry's import division, and his brother, a lawmaker who was until recently allied with Bolsonaro, testified before the Senate committee over the allegations.
Miranda has alleged he was under "undue pressure" to sign off on the deal with Bharat Biotech for 20 million doses of its anti Covid-19 shot, Covaxin.
He also spoke of "irregularities" in the invoices, particularly in a $45 million upfront payment to a Singapore-based company.