The Brazilian federal police accused former President Jair Bolsonaro of filing false COVID-19 vaccination data to the national healthcare system, Brazilian news website G1 reported on Tuesday.

For that, Bolsonaro could face up to 12 years in prison, the news website said.

The ex-president is charged with criminal association and sending false data to the information system in a case concerning forged COVID-19 vaccination certificates, the news outlet said.

Apart from him, another 16 suspects were reportedly presented with charges.

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Now the case will be transferred to the prosecutor’s office, which will decide whether it will be sent to court or dropped.

Participation in a criminal association is punishable by one to three years in prison, while reporting false data to authorities is punishable by two to 12 years.

In January, the agency that performs anti-corruption control functions in Brazil said that the information about the coronavirus vaccination in Bolsonaro’s vaccination card was false.

It learned that the former president was not even in the coastal city of Sao Paulo on the day of the alleged vaccination – July 19, 2021.

Bolsonaro is known for his skeptical attitude towards COVID-19, which he dismissed as a mere flu.

He refused to wear a mask at public events and criticised the restrictions the country’s states were introducing to combat the spread of the disease.