SportsBrazil Criminal Court Convicts Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman And Co For...

Brazil Criminal Court Convicts Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman And Co For Corrupt Acts

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November 26, (THEWILL) – Carlos Nuzman, the former president of Rio 2016 and the Brazilian Olympic Committee, has been sentenced to 30 years and 11 months in prison for bribing voters in the Brazilian city’s successful bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In a judgement made by judge Marcelo Bretas, head of the 7th Federal Criminal Court in Rio de Janeiro, Nuzman was found guilty of corruption, criminal organisation, money laundering, and tax evasion.

However, the 79-year-old, who played volleyball for Brazil at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, will not be imprisoned until the appeals process is concluded.

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Sérgio Cabral, the former governor of Rio de Janeiro, and Leonardo Gryner, the former director general of Rio 2016, were also given prison sentences. Cabral was given a sentence of ten years and eight months in prison, while Gryner was given a sentence of thirteen years and ten months in prison.

Between July 2014 and September 2017, Nuzman is said to have “hidden and concealed the origin and ownership of 16 kilos of gold, in the value of BRL1,495,437.63 (£202,000/$269,000/€239,000), arising from illegal activity, upon acquisition and maintenance not declared in a safe in Switzerland” according to the 57-page judgement.

Nuzman was detained in October 2017 as part of the “Operation Unfair Play” investigation on suspicion of arranging a $2 million (£1.5 million/€1.8 million) bribe of members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The probe commenced when members of the IOC were allegedly bribed three days before the organisation’s Session in Copenhagen in October 2009, when Rio de Janeiro overcame Chicago, Madrid, and Tokyo to become the first South American city to be granted the Olympics.

Nuzman, who was a member of the IOC from 2000 to 2012, was allegedly the scheme’s architect, according to Bretas.

“The culpability is high, as Carlos Arthur Nuzman was the main creator of the illicit scheme examined in these records and thus acted taking advantage of the high position achieved over 22 years as President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, which is why his conduct must be valued more rigorously than that of any corrupt person,” Bretas said.

“The convict dedicated his public career to making Rio de Janeiro the host city for the Olympics, however, despite such social responsibility, he chose to act against morality and public property.”

But, João Francisco Neto, Nuzman’s lawyer, confirmed that they would be appealing against the verdict, saying in his statement: “The judge sentenced him for sport, without evidence. Nuzman will surely be acquitted.

“The courts of the Republic will not honour this unspeakable legal violence.”

Cabral, who has been in prison for fraud and corruption since 2016 and is serving an extended sentence in prison, told Bretas two years ago that he had given roughly $2 million in exchange for up to six votes for Rio from IOC members.

He said the funds came from a loan due to him by Arthur Soares, a Brazilian businessman. Soares, also known as “King Arthur” was detained and released over four years ago and is still on the loose.

In his absence, he was found guilty alongside Nuzman, Cabral, and Gryner.

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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