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IOC Suspends Brazil Olympic Committee Chief

Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) President Carlos Arthur Nuzman (2nd L) arrives to Federal Police headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, October 5.
Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) President Carlos Arthur Nuzman (2nd L) arrives to Federal Police headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, October 5.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Friday suspended Brazil’s national Olympics committee head Carlos Arthur Nuzman after his arrest for allegedly arranging more than $2 million in bribes to get the IOC to pick Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 games.

Police said in a statement that Nuzman, 75, was arrested on suspicion of corruption, money laundering and criminal association.

In addition to Nuzman’s provisional suspension, the Swiss-based IOC also suspended the Brazilian Olympic Committee and froze all IOC payments to the body, Reuters reported.

The police also arrested the Rio 2016 committee’s chief operating officer Leonardo Gryner.

Authorities allege that former Rio governor Sergio Cabral, who is serving a 14-year prison term for bribery and money laundering, was the mastermind of the plot, which saw $2 million in bribes paid to the son of Senegalese IOC member Lamine Diack before the 2009 vote in which Rio beat Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo to win the 2016 Games.

The Rio games were generally credited with being a sporting and organizational success, but revelations of massive corruption during the preparations and now even in the naming of the host city have tarnished the legacy.

The IOC said Brazil’s athletes would not be affected, allowing them to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

 

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