The ICC investigates allegations of corruption in the government of President Jair Bolsonaro in the purchase of vaccines against Covid-19. | Photo: Agencia Senado Brasil

Brasilia, July 8 (RHC)-- The former director of Logistics of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, Roberto Dias, accused of asking for a bribe for the acquisition of vaccines against COVID-19, was arrested this Wednesday for perjury.  He was released, however, a few hours later after posting bail.

Dias appeared Wednesday before the Parliamentary Investigation Commission (CPI) and denied that he had requested the payment of a dollar bribe for each of the 400,000,000 doses of the AstraZeneca biological offered by the company Davati.

Dias was accused by Luiz Paulo Dominguette, a vaccine salesman linked to Davati, of asking for bribes in a meeting, which the former director of Health did not deny had taken place, but stressed that it was "casual."

The president of the CPI, Senator Omar Aziz, after hearing audios that would deny that the meeting with Dominguette was accidental, decreed the arrest of Dias, which was supported by members of the legislative commission.

"He is under arrest for lying, for perjury.  And if I have abused my authority, his lawyer or any other senator will sue me, but now he will be arrested for Brazil, because we are here now for Brazil, for those who died," said Aziz.

The ICC is investigating allegations of corruption within the government of President Jair Bolsonaro in the purchase of vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic, a disease that has already caused more than 500,000 deaths in the South American giant.

Dias was only detained for a few hours.  He posted bail of 1,100 reais (U$D $210) and was released.  He will answer in freedom to the charge of perjury.