Brazil’s new sports minister "is accused of a conflict of interest because a family business partners with a company selling gravel to construction companies working on Olympic projects," according to Mauricio Savarese of the AP. Leonardo Picciani, a congressman who comes from an influential family in Rio de Janeiro, "denies any wrongdoing and spent the weekend inaugurating a new Olympic venue." He and his family own Agrobilara, a company worth $12M that has a partnership with Tamoio, "which provides the gravel." Picciani said that "his company doesn’t take part in Tamoio’s decision-making, and said it doesn’t have any contracts with Rio’s city hall or the state government." He said Brazil’s sports ministry "does not award contracts for Olympic projects." Picciani: "The contracts for the Olympics have already been awarded, and they were managed by the International Olympic Committee, the Brazilian Olympic Committee, and Rio de Janeiro’s city hall" (AP, 5/17).
NO INTERRUPTIONS: REUTERS' Lisandra Paraguassu wrote Picciani said that interim Brazil President Michel Temer told the IOC that Brazil's change of government "has not interrupted preparations for the Rio 2016 Games." Temer spoke to Bach by telephone "and assured him the games will take place as planned." Picciani said that "preparations for the global sports event were on schedule and security for the games was guaranteed, playing down differences with the new Defense Minister Raul Jungmann" (REUTERS, 5/17).
