Alexandre Pinto has been arrested by Brazilian police ©Rio State Government

Rio de Janeiro's former head of infrastructure Alexandre Pinto has become the latest figure heavily involved in Olympic construction projects to be arrested as part of a corruption probe.

Pinto, a key figure in the administration of former Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, has been arrested by Federal police in connection to an investigation into the new Bus Rapid Transit system built to link key Olympic venues with other parts of the city,

They said that a consortium led by construction firms OAS SA and Carioca Engenharia all paid bribes totalling BRL$35.5 million (£8.74 million/$11.4 million/€9.68 million) to officials at the Federal Cities Ministry to permit funding for the project.

Works to clean heavily polluted waters close to the Olympic Park and Athletes' Village site in Barra de Tijuca are also implicated in this latest scandal. 

Pinto, who oversaw much of this work, has been arrested as part of the investigation and accused of taking bribes.

It is alleged that he channeled profits through family members including his wife, mother and children.

Financial transactions, such as unsecured loans, were also allegedly made to hide the movement of money.

Pinto and his representatives have not yet publicly responded following his arrest.

Former Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, left, alongside IOC President Thomas Bach, centre, and Rio 2016 chief Carlos Nuzman, right, is among officials linked to corruption related to the Olympics ©Getty Images
Former Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, left, alongside IOC President Thomas Bach, centre, and Rio 2016 chief Carlos Nuzman, right, is among officials linked to corruption related to the Olympics ©Getty Images

Paes has said that it would be "a great disappointment" if the accusations against Pinto and the overall scheme were found to be true.

Paes, replaced as Mayor by Marcelo Crivella this year, is himself at the centre of allegations that he received bribes from construction company Odebrecht in connection with Olympic and Paralympic contracts.

According to Brazilian newspaper O Estado São Paulo, the company involved in the majority of the major construction projects at Rio 2016 paid Paes around R$16 million (£4.1 million/$5.1 million/€4.8 million) for the "facilitation of Olympic-related contracts".

He has denied all wrongdoing.

Rio's Olympic legacy continues to be overshadowed by corruption investigations exactly one year on from the Games.

Former State Governor Sérgio Cabral has also been sentenced to 14 years in prison today after being found guilty of corruption and money laundering charges.

Some of the allegations involve construction projects connected with Brazil's hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and then the Olympic and Paralympic Games two years later.

This includes alleged embezzlement of funds from the renovation work in the Maracanã Stadium used for the FIFA World Cup final and all Rio 2016 ceremonies.