Nuzman Expecting Acquittal in Trial

(ATR) Three years after his fall from grace, Carlos Arthur Nuzman has written his memoirs as he awaits a verdict in his trial "with great expectation".

On October 5, 2017, Nuzman was briefly arrested and then later accused by the Prosecutor's Office of being a part of a corruption scheme that led to Rio de Janeiro winning the bid for the 2016 Games.

Former president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and former president of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, Nuzman, 78, was suspended as an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee.

According to sources close to Nuzman, the former Olympic leader "is fine" and "awaiting the sentence with great expectation of being acquitted".

Nuzman, who played volleyball for Brazil's national team, has written a book about his life and the Rio Olympics and he will present it after the process is over.

The trial began more than two years ago and is currently stalled in the Rio de Janeiro court of judge Marcelo Bretas.

According to the source, Nuzman's defense has estimated that what is happening now in the Paris courts with the former IAAF president and his son, Lamine Diack and Papa Massata, will have no influence on the Nuzman trial.

The French police have decided to expand the investigation into Diack and his son on alleged corruption in other sporting events and in the Tokyo Olympic bid after both were convicted in early September on various charges including bribery to cover up doping results.

Both defendants have denied the latest allegations.

The Brazilian Prosecutor's Office suspects that Nuzman was the main intermediary between businessman Arthur Soares and former IAAF President Lamine Diack in an alleged bribery operation with African members of the IOC in the vote for the 2016 host city at the IOC Session in Copenhagen in 2009. Rio de Janeiro won the bid over Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago.

The trial has been paralyzed since January, pending the final arguments for the defense of another of the defendants in this process, the former governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Cabral.

Cabral's defense is expected to begin next week.

But it does not seem likely that a verdict will be known before the end of the year.

Despite the serious effect of the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil, analysts believe that this would not prevent, if necessary, the judge from reporting the verdict from home.

While the Defense relies on an acquittal, the Public Ministry continues to await Nuzman's conviction.

Written and reported by Miguel Hernandez

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