Deputy chair pushes for another 90 days for hearings committee

Senator Randolfe Rodrigues submitted a request on Monday to extend the chamber’s ongoing Covid inquiry for another 90 days. Without the change, the hearings committee to investigate the government’s pandemic response would expire at the end of July.

Hearings committees operate for 90 days and can be extended for an additional 90 days — if the motion is approved, the Covid inquiry would run until October. 

The move comes after Friday’s allegations that Congressman Ricardo Barros, the government’s House whip, sought to fast-track a USD 300-million contract to purchase 20 million doses of the Indian-made Covaxin vaccine despite glaring doubts about its safety and efficacy. “It’s a scandal that needs to be investigated with severity,” Mr. Randolfe wrote, in his request.

Mr. Rodrigues also plans to press charges against Mr. Bolsonaro for allegedly failing to investigate the aforementioned allegations. In Friday’s Covid inquiry session, one congressman told the committee that he personally told the president about the irregularities in the Covaxin deal — and claims to have proof.

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