THE president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee was arrested yesterday amid an investigation into a vote-buying scheme to bring last year’s Olympics to Rio de Janeiro.

Carlos Nuzman, who is also an honorary International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, was held for questioning last month by Brazilian and French authorities. They said he was a central figure in channelling $2 million to Lamine Diack, a former IOC member from Senegal who helped secure votes when Rio was picked by the IOC in 2009.

Police said Nuzman would be held because investigators found he had tried to hamper the investigation by laundering assets likely gained with illicit money. About two weeks after being held for questioning, Nuzman added $600,000 in income to his tax return.

“He clearly acted to obstruct the investigation,” said the order, adding that the lack of a clear origin of the extra money “indicated it was illicit.”

Investigators said they had also recovered a key they believed was for a safe in Switzerland containing gold.

In Nuzman’s last 10 years as committee president, his net worth increased 457 per cent, investigators said.

Leonardo Gryner, director-general of operations for the committee, was also arrested yesterday.

Brazilian authorities have said the behind-the-scenes dealings to win the vote amounted to a “criminal organisation.”