Rio Mayor Accused Of Corruption

Former and current employees of the construction company Odebrecht recently signed plea deals that named names of Brazilian officials who allegedly accepted bribes to secure construction contracts for the 2016 games.

Governo do Rio de Janeiro – Maracana Stadium
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One of the main public officials under investigation is Eduardo Paes, the former mayor of Rio de Janeiro that was awarded the “Olympic Order” just days after the conclusion of the games for his role in getting the city ready. Others accused of wrongdoing include Vicente Candido, a congressman and former Brazilian Football Confederation official.

The crux of the allegations is that Paes, Candido and others  accepted money, at least $5 million in the case of Paes, $16,000 for Candido, to make sure that construction giant Odebrecht was charged with building the stadiums and facilities for the games.

Obredecht did indeed build stadiums in Sao Paulo and Recife and several arenas and renovation projects in Rio.

For his part, Paes is denying the accusations. He said through a spokesperson that he “vehemently denies that he has accepted bribes to facilitate, or to benefit, the interests of the Odebrecht company.”

Paes was widely credited for taking the necessary measures to speed up preparations for the games and said he hoped to run for Governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro. He left office on Jan. 1 after his term expired.