Coronavirus

Prosecutors file charges against Amazonas governor for fraudulent procurement

Amazonas Governor Wilson Lima (left) and President Jair Bolsonaro. Photo Alan Santos/PR.jpeg
Amazonas Governor Wilson Lima (left) and President Jair Bolsonaro. Photo: Alan Santos/PR.jpeg

Ahead of the Covid hearings committee in the Senate, the Federal Prosecution Office presented charges against Amazonas Governor Wilson Lima and 17 other people.

According to prosecutors, Mr. Lima led a “criminal organization” that embezzled millions by way of fraudulent procurements of hospital supplies. Last year, the government of Amazonas spent BRL 2.97 million (USD 549,664) on the purchase of 28 ventilators from a wine import company, at a value 133 percent higher than the top-end market price for ventilators in Brazil, suggesting foul play.

Three months ago, Amazonas had a coronavirus death rate of nearly 2,000 for every 1 million inhabitants — at that point, Brazil’s largest Brazilian state was home to the world’s highest Covid-19 death rate.