Former Rio governor Cabral jailed for 14 years over stadium contract bribes
RIO DE JANEIRO: Sergio Cabral, former governor of Rio de Janeiro, has been jailed for 14 years and two months after being judged to have taken bribes in in exchange for granting sports venue construction contracts.
One such project was the redevelopment of Maracana which hosted football’s 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup and was the Opening and Closing Ceremonies venue for the 2016 Olympic Games.
The capacity of the venue was reduced to less than 80,000 following the revamp, which was carried out between 2010 and 2013.
Sergio Moro, a federal judge leading a widespread investigation of corruption in public office, said that holding such public figures to account was vital. The city of Rio was virtually bankrupt partly because of the monies which had been diverted out of the public purse.
He told Cabral: “The responsibility of a state governor is enormous and, therefore, also his guilt is when he commits crimes. There can be no more grievous offence than betraying the mandate and the sacred trust which the people have laid in him, for his own benefit.”
Cabral also faces nine other cases in the vast, so-called Lavo Jeto (Car Wash) corruption inquiry.
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