French investigators "think the vote to give Rio the 2016 Olympic Games may have been rigged, it is claimed," according to the BBC. Brazilian businessman Arthur César de Menezes Soares Filho paid $1.5M to the son of an "influential" IOC member "just days before the host city was chosen," according to French newspaper Le Monde. The newspaper said, "The French justice suspects that this money may have been used to influence the votes." Rio 2016 organizers said that the vote was "clean." The IOC confirmed an ethics commission is "looking into the allegations" and it is "working in co-operation with the [French] prosecutor." Le Monde said that investigators have "established a holding company belonging to the businessman paid the money to a company set up by Papa Massata Diack," a French-Senegalese marketing consultant who is banned for life from athletics for "alleged corruption." Menezes Soares Filho "subsequently won a number of construction contracts with the state of Rio related to building infrastructure for the Games." It was also alleged a payment was made to former Namibian sprinter, IOC member & IAAF Council member Frankie Fredericks. Regarding Fredericks, an IOC statement said, "He informed the IOC and explained the situation and emphasised his innocence immediately upon being contacted by the journalist. Immediately after a link was made between this contractual payment and the vote for the host city, Mr Fredericks himself also turned to the IOC Ethics Commission" (BBC, 3/3). REUTERS' Pedro Fonseca reported a representative for Menezes Soares Filho "could not be immediately reached for comment." Rio 2016 Games spokesperson Mario Andrada said, "The vote was clean. Rio's victory was very clear. The French investigation concerns six members of the IOC and six members would not have changed the result at all." Fredericks, who now heads the IOC evaluation commission for the 2024 Olympic bids, said that "the money was paid for work he did to promote athletics in Africa" between '07 and '11. The IAAF said that it was "continuing to work with the French investigation on its ongoing criminal investigation." In a statement, the IAAF said, "We can confirm that Frank Fredericks has been in contact with the IAAF Ethics Board this week and provided information relating to the substance of the press coverage ... He has indicated he is happy to assist the Ethics Board with any questions it may have." Andrada said that the ongoing investigation by French authorities was "focused on" former IAAF President Lamine Diack. Andrada: "The Rio Games have already taken place and filled Brazilians with pride, and only when the French have concluded their investigation will it be possible to say who are the beneficiaries of this scheme. Already, however, it's clear that the Rio Games have nothing to do with this" (REUTERS, 3/3). In London, Martyn Ziegler reported Fredericks insisted that he "did not breach any regulation or rule of ethics." Asked why he was paid on the same day as the vote, Fredericks said, "Despite the contract being concluded in 2007 I had not been paid, and therefore started to put pressure on Pamodzi Sports Consulting, and this culminated in the payment in 2009" (LONDON TIMES, 3/4).
