By Nick Butler

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes has provided an upbeat Christmas message about preparations ©AFP/Getty ImagesRio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes has claimed Olympic and Paralympic preparations are back on schedule, and insisted Organisers are "completely open" to full financial audits of all projects connected to the Games.


These latter words come at a time of growing concern over corruption in Brazil, following the emergence of a major scandal involving state-owned oil company Petrobras, with money laundered by the company allegedly being offered to Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff.

Sport has not been immune from allegations, with a recent report by the Federal Anti Corruption Agency claiming Brazilian Volleyball Confederation officials illegally channeled funds to family and friends between 2010 and 2013.

Current International Volleyball Federation President Ary S Graça is among those accused, although he strongly denies all allegations.

Although there are no allegations specifically involving Rio 2016, Brazil's Federal Accounts Court has, according to Bloomberg, accused Games Organisers of withholding financial information, including details of their payroll for the past 12 months, identities of employees and their roles, and the Committee's annual budget and contract details.

But Paes has insisted there will be full openness at all times.

"We are completely open to all kinds of inspections and transparency," he said.

"We are completely open to all oversight."

Corruption is a major worry in Brazil, as heightened by the latest scandal dogging the Government of freshly re-elected President, Dilma Rousseff ©AFP/Getty ImagesCorruption is a major worry in Brazil, as heightened by the latest scandal dogging the Government of freshly re-elected President, Dilma Rousseff ©AFP/Getty Images







Meanwhile, speaking during a tour of facilities, he insisted construction progress is going well, and that the first venues will be completed by August or September next year.

"It is a big challenge that demands effort from all of us," he said.

"But I have no doubts that we are on the right road to deliver everything on time, which does not mean that we are kicking back and relaxing."

This comes at the end of a topsy-turvy year for Rio, in which there has been much criticism of slow progress, with the most vocal words coming from International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates, who said in April "preparations were the worst he had experienced" in his long association with the Games.

But since the success of the FIFA World Cup in the host nation, there has been gradual improvement, with Coates even admitting this progress earlier this month, although only with the caveat that there remains a long way to go and no time for complacency.

The Olympic Tennis Centre was among those visited during Eduardo Paes' inspection of Rio 2016 venues ©Getty ImagesThe Olympic Tennis Centre was among those visited during Eduardo Paes' inspection of Rio 2016 venues ©Getty Images



The only venue still behind schedule, Paes claimed during his tour, is the Rio Olympic Velodrome in the Barra de Tijuca Cluster, although he insisted the current three-week delay "on a work of this size means nothing", and it will still be completed well in time. 

Other challenges involve security, after two British sailors were mugged in the host city earlier this month, as well as water pollution in the sailing venue in Guanabara Bay.

This latter concern returned to the fore last week with the discovery of a "super-bacteria" capable of causing a variety of illnesses, although Rio 2016 and the State Government responsible for water control have each played down the danger, and convened a task force to explore further. 

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