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Brazil court allows prosecution of US swimmer Ryan Lochte

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AP Sao Paulo

Brazil's Superior Court of Justice has ruled that US swimmer Ryan Lochte can be prosecuted on a charge of filing a false police report during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Lochte had claimed that he and fellow swimmers were robbed at gunpoint in a taxi in Rio. But prosecutors said he invented the story to cover up the swimmers' vandalism of a gas station and an ensuing confrontation with security guards.

The 12-time Olympic medallist later acknowledged he was intoxicated and said his behaviour led to the confrontation.

A court dismissed the case last year, but the Superior Court of Justice reversed that decision this week. Prosecutor Rodrigo de Almeida Maia said today that the next step is for Lochte's team to present its defense.

 

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First Published: Jun 29 2018 | 2:55 AM IST

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