MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has arrested the head of three water sports federations over suspected fraud, a Moscow court said on Wednesday, just over four months before the start of the Tokyo Olympics.
Alexei Vlasenko, head of Russia’s water polo, diving and synchronised swimming federations, faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of large-scale fraud.
“The court granted the investigators’ petition for a measure of restraint in the form of detention,” Moscow’s Basmanny Court said.
“Vlasenko is under arrest until May 16.”
Reuters could not immediately reach Vlasenko for comment.
Athletes from Russia will compete under the acronym ROC without their flag and anthem at the Games as part of sanctions for several doping scandals, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said last month.
The re-scheduled Olympics are due to be staged from July 23 to Aug. 8.
(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Writing by Alexander Marrow, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
