Olympics Head Fired But Refuses To Leave

A power struggle in Costa Rica’s National Olympics Committee culminated this week with the ouster of committee President Jorge Nery Carvajal.

A majority of the committee’s 47 assembly members voted on Tuesday night to replace Nery with Henry Nuñez, head of the country’s judo association.

Nery has refused to leave the post, however, arguing that the assembly was illegal. He and his allies still occupy the committee offices in Coronado, northeast of San José, and control the committee’s bank accounts, according to daily La Nación.

Late last year Nery became more embattled when the Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) opened an investigation into allegations that he had forged documents and mismanaged the committee.

Nery has been president of the committee for 22 years.