Sports
20:21, 03-Nov-2017
Frankie Fredericks under probe for Rio games corruption
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French prosecutors have placed Namibian Olympic medalist Frankie Fredericks under formal investigation in a probe into the award of the 2016 Rio Olympics, a source close to the inquiry said on Friday.
The former world sprint champion was charged for passive corruption and money laundering relating to a graft probe into the awarding of last year's Olympics to Rio, according to AFP.
He is being investigated for an over 299,300 US dollars payment he received from Papa Massata Diack, son of ex-International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lamine Diack, on October 2, 2009 – the day Rio won the bid.
A separate report from Reuters said that the prosecutors in France and Brazil are investigating alleged corruption allegations over Rio de Janeiro's triumph over Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid to secure the games.
Fredericks, who is an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, denies any "involvement in untoward conduct."
(Cover photo: Frankie Fredericks speaks at a press conference at the 2012 London Olympics. /AFP/Getty Images)