Brazil attorney general: Bribes connected to 2016 Rio Olympics
Brazil's attorney general will investigate whether a lawmaker paid bribes to help secure building contracts for sporting venue construction ahead of next summer's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, according to the Associated Press.
Attorney general Rodrigo Janot says Eduardo Cunha, a speaker in Brazil's two-chamber legislature, received about $475,000 from construction company OAS.
OAS has been contracted to help build the BMX, mountain bike and canoeing venues in Deodoro. The company is also involved in several projects to projects to clean the city's polluted waters as well as port construction.
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In a 110-page report, obtained by the AP, Janot alleges that Cunha headed the legislation that would tax exempt all of the Olympic-related construction work as well as imports needed for the construction. The tax breaks totaled about $1 billion.
Cunha is among those very vocal in calling for the impeachment of Brazil's president, Dilma Rousseff.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach says the Olympic governing body would start auditing the funds given to international federations, national Olympic bodies and Olympic organizing committees. Rio de Janeiro is receiving about $1.5 billion from the IOC to help stage next summer's games, which will start on Aug. 5.
- Christopher Chavez
