A court has sentenced a former president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee to more than 30 years in prison for buying votes to win Rio de Janeiro’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics.
Carlos Nuzman, 79, was convicted in federal court of masterminding the payment of around $2 million in bribes to the former head of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Lamine Diack, and his son Papa Massata Diack to buy votes for Rio’s candidacy.
The ex-official was convicted of corruption, organized crime, money laundering and smuggling cash, Rio de Janeiro Judge Marcelo Bretas said in sentencing Nuzman on Thursday to 30 years and 11 months.
Nuzman, who led the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) from 1995 to 2017, was granted conditional release following his arrest four years ago and will now remain free pending appeal.