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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Rio Olympic head Nuzman formally charged with corruption

Paulo Wanderley, the Brazil Olympic Committee interim president, presides over an extraordinary session, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017. (Silvia Izquierdo / Associated Press)
By Stephen Wade and Mauricio Savarese Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO – Carlos Nuzman, the head of last year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics, has been charged by Brazilian prosecutors with corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and running a criminal organization.

Brazilian prosecutors announced the formal charges on Wednesday.

The 75-year-old Nuzman was arrested two weeks ago and is being held in prison. Prosecutors also filed corruption charges against Nuzman’s right-hand man, Leonardo Gryner.

Brazilian and French authorities say Nuzman helped pay $2 million to Papa Massata Diack to win votes to stage the 2016 Olympics.

In the vote in 2009 to pick the host city, his father, Lamine Diack, was a powerful IOC member from Senegal with sway over the African voting bloc.

Nuzman resigned last week as the president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee. He has denied any wrongdoing.