IOC suspends Brazilian official in vote-buying case
After being arrested in Rio de Janeiro and accused of storing gold bars in Switzerland, Brazilian Olympic Committee president Carlos Nuzman was suspended by the IOC on Friday.
The decision came hours after Brazilian authorities investigating a 2016 Olympic vote-buying case asked for help from prosecutors in Switzerland. The Brazilian Olympic Committee was also provisionally suspended and had its funding frozen.
Nuzman, a 75-year-old lawyer, was also removed from the IOC’s panel overseeing preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee announced the decisions after an emergency conference call of its executive board. The IOC said its decision will not affect Brazilian athletes, who will continue to receive scholarship funds and be eligible for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Nuzman was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of obstructing investigators from Brazil and France, who detained and questioned him one month ago. Their case explores suspicious payments linked to how the city won the hosting rights for the 2016 Olympics.
Brazilian prosecutors revealed Thursday they believed Nuzman has stored 16 bars of gold in a depository in Geneva and greatly increased his wealth while overseeing the Rio bid and organizing committees.
The office of Switzerland’s attorney general said Friday it is “currently analyzing” a request from Brazil for legal assistance.
“The request has been transferred from the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) to the (attorney general’s office) as the competent authority for execution,” the federal office said in a statement.
Brazilian prosecutors have implicated Nuzman in a bribery scheme of at least US$2 million to help win votes from IOC members, who chose Rio as host city in 2009 in a four-city contest. The losers were Chicago, supported by then-President Barack Obama, Madrid and Tokyo.
Nuzman is believed to be a central figure in channeling at least $2 million of a Brazilian businessman’s money to Lamine Diack, a former IOC member from Senegal who helped control African votes.
Diack has been arrested in France as part of a wider case of alleged corruption while he was president of track and field’s governing body.
The French case has also implicated four-time Olympic sprint medallist Frank Fredericks of Namibia. He was an IOC executive board member in October 2009 when he got a $300,000 payment linked to Brazil and the Diack family on the day Rio won.
Eagles (3-1) Philadelphia bolted from the gate last season, winning three straight before stumbling to 7-9. This quick start has a different feel.
For one, Carson Wentz looks to have taken a major step in maturity as a quarterback. He doesn’t try to force things, in part because of his comfort level with coach Doug Pederson’s system. He also has more talent around him.
And more leadership with such veterans as Chris Long, LeGarrette Blount and Alshon Jeffery on board.
“Those are very helpful, beneficial, because they’re a big impact to what we’re doing and the success we’ve had this early part of the season,” Pederson says. “And the other thing, too, is these are veteran players who have been on, in Chris’s case (and Blount’s), on championship teams. They know how to work. They know how to practice. They know how to prepare. And that’s what you want.”
Philly has some defensive issues to settle, with a series of injuries in the secondary and to star DT Fletcher Cox. The Eagles have Josh McCown and the New York Jets were predicted to go 0-16 by some pundits. They’re 2-2 and could be tied for the AFC East lead with a win at 0-4 Cleveland on Sunday.
Bills (3-1)
The previous time the Bills made the playoffs, America was
Jets (2-2)
The Jets made regular appearances in late-night monologues and prognostications of 0-16 seemed not that farfetched.
Well, they’ve won their past two games, both at home, and head to 0-4 Cleveland with a shot at a winning record.
Their offence has been much more capable than anyone imagined, and they appear to have two studs at safety in rookies Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.
If they manage to win six times with this roster, Todd Bowles should be coach of the year.
Even if Andy Reid goes 16-0.